Bachelor King 7: Best and Worst Days
by creativeKing95
Summary: Spiny has everything a 14-year-old boy would want. He's King, he's the richest person on Earth, he has a great family, the best friends ever, popularity, talent, and his budding singing career. But there's something missing. Maybe it's love (Odd-numbered chapters told in he-said voice, even-numbered chapters told in she-said voice. Inspired by Flipped.)
1. Chapter 1

**"You ready, Spiny?" said my recording studio assistant from the other side of the glass. I gave him a thumbs-up. "Ready. Fire away!"**

 **He nodded and kit some buttons. I heard music fading in from the big black headphones I had around my ears. I cleared my throat and leaned in to the big microphone in front of me. I looked at the sheet music one more time, and then closed my eyes.**

 **As you've probably guessed, I was at the recording studio. We were about a little more than halfway through getting the whole thing done. And when my manager had no success in finding a good songwriter…well, uh, heh heh. Let's just say that writing songs and poems is one of my favorite hobbies.**

 **Anyways…April 18, 2015. At the recording studio. 6:19 pm.**

 **I had a very busy past two weeks. UN meetings, conferences, had several problems on the border with Egypt, an air attack by Syrian forces, illegal marijuana smuggling, clandestine bars, End of Year Tests, semester exams, science projects, recording more songs…phew!**

 **Who ever said being a teenage King was a walk in the park?**

 **A bunch of nutbags and wackos.**

 **After all that, I drove home. I saw Lilia working outside on her garden and her yard. She was really passionate about making sure her yard looked neat. And she was a very hard worker. She did pretty good. It was looking pretty nice. She looked pretty!**

 **Anyways, I was dead beat. Super tired. "I'm home!" I yelled once I got in. Patty came out from the living room, carrying the vacuum cleaner. "Hi," I said, leaning over to kiss her. She moved out of the way and said, "Oh, shut up!"**

 **Well! Somebody was in a bad mood. "What's the matter with you?"**

 **She gave me a nasty look and said, "Oh, please!" Well, when the girls' have said those two phrases, it's better not to ask anymore because…well, let's just say this: Kathy and Patty are both really beautiful, but they're not so much when they're enraged and steaming mad.**

 **Anyways, I walked up to my room. Always felt to walk down these…HUH?!**

 **"KATHY! PATTY! SOMEBODY PAINTED AND DREW WITH PERMANENT SHARPIES ALL OVER THE WALL!"**

 **I felt my blood boiling and my heart pounding with rage. Kathy came running, wearing an apron and with grease stains. Her hair was…blech! A huge mess. She was breathing deep. "Yes, Spiny?"**

 **I pointed a stern finger at the wall. My wall. "Who. Did. That."**

 **"Your brother."**

 **"My brother? Isn't it our brother?"**

 **She shook her head. "When he's well-behaved, he's our brother. When he does something bad, he's your brother!"**

 **I groaned. I didn't have time for this. "Look, I am not in the mood for this. Just punish him or something."**

 **"I already did. I told him no phone for two weeks."**

 **"Phone? You mean it was Robert?"**

 **"Yes, it was Robert."**

 **"WHY? Why did he do it?"**

 **"Something about protesting against dictatorial rule of not having an iPad or girlfriends."**

 **Ha! How do you like that?**

 **Now I had a rebel preteen under my roof. Well, I would worry about that later. I got into my room, got on my bed, threw off my sneakers, and just lay back on the soft pillow. Aah! Nothing like a soft bed in the evening. Felt real good.**

 **I heard a toilet flushing from inside my bathroom, then hands washing. Larry stepped out. "Hey!" He walked over to my bed. "What you doing, Spine?"**

 **"Oh, please shut up!"**

 **He stared at me for a while, blinking. Then he said, "I'm doing fine, thank you. I just finished making four new powers, we might buy the Kaliningrad Oblast from Russia, and we are updating our Space Armies. How about you?"**

 **I sat up and sighed. "Well…the entire European Union wants to take me to the UN International Court of Justice, my new album is almost finished, the end of year exams are coming up, and I still haven't got the guts to ask Lilia out to a date."**

 **He nodded. "Typical adolescence for a King."**

 **I laughed. "You wouldn't know. Sorry I yelled at you."**

 **He shrugged. "Don't mention it." I got up and stretched. "I just can't seem to be enjoying life as before. It's a lot more complicated than when the world discovered us."**

 **He crossed his arms. "Yeah, I remember that day as if it was yesterday. June 3, 1912. You were still 13 years old. We got so scared. And it seemed that we would get along with everybody…now we have a list of enemy countries with about 35 or so countries or so on them."**

 **I sighed. "Why don't we travel to another dimension? To the one we're still not discovered?"**

 **He laughed. "Pretty good idea."**

 **I stood up and paced around for a little while. "Say, Larry?"**

 **"Yeah?"**

 **"We're not doing anything today, right? I mean no meeting or anything?"**

 **He got up and went over to get his binder. He started paging through it. "Mmm. Nope. Nothing. Why? We're you planning on something?"**

 **I sighed. "Well…there's something I want to do, but I'm not sure I have the courage to do it."**

 **Larry walked up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Spiny, I know how you feel."**

 **I stared at him. "You know how I feel? You went through this?"**

 **He nodded. "I was scared, too. I was terrified. But don't worry. Just go ahead with it, and no matter how bad the consequences are, you'll feel good."**

 **I gave him a confused look. "Bad? What are you talking about?"**

 **"That I, too, felt scared the first time I was about to play a prank on your sister."**

 **HUH? My jaw dropped about ten inches and I looked at him, dumbfounded. "What. Are. You. Talking. About? I'm talking about dating. Dating! You know, social relationships, courting, that kind of stuff."**

 **"Oh….that I don't know much about."**

 **"Ugh! Forget it. You're no help at all. Just forget this entire conversation, please."**

 **I walked out of my room and down to the kitchen. I couldn't stand to be in the same room with that jerk for another minute. His twisted sense of humor might be contagious or something. And I sure don't need that, thank you. I have enough problems as it is.**

 **As I sat down for dinner, I noticed an empty seat. "Where's Robert?"**

 **"He said he had a headache," said Greeny.**

 **Ha! That was probably one of the worst excuses for preteens I ever heard. I gave Kathy a look that said, "Yeah, right?"**

 **She just shrugged. "So, what are we having?" said Larry as he sat in the seat next to mine.**

 **"Baked chicken drumsticks and black beans."**

 **"Mmmm-mmm! Sounds like a specialty delicacy," I said. I mean, I know how much Kathy and Patty work themselves out in order to make dinner and help to keep the house in order. I would help them if I could, but between being a King, having school, and now my new music career…well, at least I wash the dishes, vacuum, broom, and take out the garbage for them.**

 **As we sat there during dinner, I couldn't help thinking. I was just thinking and thinking. Of what, you may be asking yourself?**

 **Well, to be honest, I was thinking very much of the beautiful girl across the street who had stolen my heart for almost a year now. Why didn't I have the courage to ask her out on a date? This may come as a shock, but just because I am a heartthrob doesn't not mean I am a ladies' man or that I have lots of girlfriends or that I've dated hundreds of times.**

 **First of all, I am not a ladies' man. I am against playboy-type guys. I mean, seriously, girls deserve to be treated a whole lot better. Secondly, I've never had a girlfriend in my life even though there are millions of girls who are crazy over me. Maybe because I'm a coward. I guess I'm just too scared to ask any girl out. And thirdly…there is no third point but two is enough.**

 **But you see what I mean?**

 **And of course, all that on a guy's mind make's him think. I was in the middle of all these thoughts, when Kathy shook my shoulder. "Spiny!"**

 **"Huh? What?"**

 **"I don't know about you, Spiny, but the custom is to eat beans with a spoon and not to drink them."**

 **"What are you talking about?"**

 **"You're drinking your beans, that's what I'm talking about."**

 **"Wha…I am not!"**

 **"Then how come you're holding the bowl up to your mouth and you've got black stains on your chin and your shirt?"**

 **I looked down and…okay, so I was drinking the beans instead of eating them. Hey, I was in deep thought, okay? There's no rules against that, right? Everybody has a right to be in deep thoughts and do crazy things without even noticing. Well, maybe not the last part, but you get the idea.**

 **Not surprisingly, everyone finished dinner and I was there by myself, just thinking. Kathy came out after washing the dishes. "Spiny."**

 **"Hmm?"**

 **"What's the matter with you?"**

 **"Huh? Nothing. Nothing's the matter. Why would you ask that? What makes you think there's something wrong?"**

 **"Well…you look thoughtful. What's on your mind?"**

 **I shook my head and stood up to go to my room. "Ah, it's too silly to even talk about. I'm going up to my room."**

 **Wouldn't you know it? Kathy wouldn't let me go. She forced me down in the chair. "What is wrong, Spiny? Come on, you can tell me. I'm your sister."**

 **Well, she was starting to sound concerned. And what other choice did I have, really? I sighed. "Well…to be honest, I feel…I don't even know how I feel! How can I tell you how I fell when I don't know myself?!"**

 **"Well, what's bothering you?"**

 **I stood up and started pacing. "I want to ask Lilia out for a date, but I haven't got the courage to do it. There, I said it!"**

 **I could tell she was trying to hold in her laughter. I could see the sides of her lips twitching. She was trying not to smile. I narrowed my eyes at her. "Are you laughing, young lady?"**

 **She sputtered. "No, I'm…I just…HA HA HA HA AHA AHAHA!"**

 **"Oh, shut UP!" I started walking out the kitchen and to my room. "Wait, Spiny. Wait!"**

 **She walked over, her laughter dying down. "I'm sorry. I just laugh every time I think of it. I can't help myself."**

 **"Well, you certainly weren't a big help. That's the second time somebody's been a wise-guy to me. Well, in your case it'd be wise-gal."**

 **"All right, all right. I'll be serious." She suddenly had a serious look on her face. But it wasn't a typical serious face. It was a serious face that was just minutes or seconds away from bursting into laughter. So I had to talk fast.**

 **"Well, I just don't have the courage to ask her out. I'm scared to death. And…well, I think it's now reached the time for us to be more than just friends. I mean, I've waited 8 months already. And I've had to endure many injustices. Don't you think it was time?"**

 **She shrugged. "Not sure."**

 **"How did you know that you were ready to date Richard? I mean, did he do anything that got your attention or made you want to go out with him?"**

 **She laughed quietly and sighed. "Well, lots of things I guess. First, he just said hi to me. Then, he told me how pretty he thought I was. How he'd like to get to know me better. Before I knew it, I was arranging to go out with him the next day out to dinner."**

 **"That's all there is to it?"**

 **"You might say that. But, of course, every person is different."**

 **I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans. "That's true. But, I don't know, something tells me I should do it now."**

 **"Well, however you want to. Why don't you ask Larry to give you some tips."**

 **"HA! You're kidding, right? Me, the King of Heartthrobs ask Larry the King of Idiots for advice on dating? Whoa!"**

 **She laughed. "You've been watching Happy Days for too long."**

 **"Hey, I took a shot." I paced back and forth again. It helps me think. I think I've already mentioned that, but it doesn't hurt to say it twice.**

 **Anyways, I looked at the time. It was 6:50 pm. There was still plenty of daylight outside. "Um…I going to go out for a walk. I'll be right back."**

 **"Aw, why don't you wait? We can all go."**

 **"Um, well, I kinda would like to go alone."**

 **She looked suspicious. "Are you really going for a walk or do we need to talk some more?"**

 **I crossed my arms. "Are you insinuating that I'm going to Lilia's house right now and ask her out?"**

 **She nodded.**

 **"I'm shocked that you would even think that! See you around." I grabbed my jacket and stepped outside and walked down the driveway, out the Palace Gates…and across the street to the house across from mine.**


	2. Chapter 2

Well, this is the first time I've done this. Well, not that I've written. I have a diary I've kept since we moved here, but of course, that's always remained private. As may have guessed, I'm Lilia Woods. The least popular girl in school, but that's okay with me. I have several true friends.

Anyways, this is the first time I've told anyone about my happenings other than my parents, my two older brothers, or my older sister. Yep, I'm the baby of the house. Last one to be born. Of course, you get more spoiled, but it still had its downsides.

Before I say what happened between me and a Special Someone in my life, I guess I should tell you a little bit about myself. I was born on May 10, 5612 BCE. My father was from what today is Turkey and my mother from Italy. When I was seven we moved to Sauropolis. We were one of the very few humans who came across Amarkia before it was discovered by the world in 1912.

During that time, Spiny's father, Allaxe was the king. He had been working a special project and asked for the best designers and engineers. So, he met my dad and they became very good friends. They treated each other as if they had been childhood friends. And so my dad got a very good non-political position in the government. He became the Chief Royal Architect and Designer. That says a lot in itself.

Anyways, that day we were told that the King had invited my dad to move across the street from the Palace. Our mothers also became good friends. And, with only a weekend before 2nd grade started, and with the age of seven, my dad told us that we would move very close to the King and his family.

I knew that the King had a son and the he was close to getting remarried. But that was pretty much it. I remember that day like I do any day. My sister Rebecca was nine and about to start 4th grade. My two older brothers aren't twins, but they look exactly alike. I mean, they're the same height, same face, same character, everything. But one is Micah. He was 10 and about to start 5th grade. The other was Ethan. He was 11 and about to begin middle school.

We got there at about 2 pm or so. I loved the scenery around the Palace. It was hard to believe that we were only ten minutes from downtown. It was August 25, 3412 BCE. As we got to our house, I could see two figures in the Front Yards of the Palace. As we parked in front of our new house, I could see that it was a tall man in striped shirt and jeans. And a little boy with a soccer uniform. (Yeah, by that time, they had already discovered how to change to human form.)

I instinctively got excited. I had no friends at the time and my siblings spent a lot of time with their own friends. Finally, I thought. I'll have a playmate and friend for myself. I'll get to be friends with the Prince!

When we parked, the King stood up from playing with Spiny and looked at us. He smiled and waved at us. Then he walked out the Gates and came over to us. He shook my father's hand and they gave each other a brotherly hug. "Hey, how are you, Jerry?" said the King.

"Oh, doing great, Allaxe," Dad replied.

My mother came out and started unpacking things. She ordered all my siblings to help, and of course, nobody protested against that. After a while of talking, the King turned across the street and yelled, "Hey, Spiny!"

Spiny looked up from dribbling his soccer ball. In his innocent seven-year-old voice, he said, "What it is, daddy?"

"Come over, son. Our new neighbors are here."

"Okay, daddy!" He kicked the soccer ball aside and ran out the gates, across the street and over to us. He stood by his father and smiled at everyone politely. That's when I got a good look at him.

The very first thing I noticed about him were his eyes. His beautiful, captivating, intense blue eyes. I'd never seen a boy with black hair and blue eyes. It was the most stunning thing I'd ever seen. And his smile…oh, it was so cute! His teeth were perfect white, and no gaps or spaces. And his face. His face is just perfect. Angelical. Divine. Everything about his face was perfect…the shape of his eyebrows, his cheeks, his chin…even his nose. He simply has a beautiful face.

At that moment, I felt myself spinning and my stomach got all jittery. My heart pounded and my breathing stopped. I couldn't help myself. I was awoken by admiring his incomprehensible beauty when the King said, "And this is their youngest daughter, Lilia. It's Lilia, right?"

I nodded, but still staring into Spiny's blue eyes. I had simply lost myself in them and couldn't think of anything else. Spiny smiled at me. I just felt my heart melting like butter on a hot day. I could feel my cheeks coloring and my hand shook as Spiny shook it. He'd probably been forced to smile. But at the moment I didn't care.

All I cared is that I had found my first love. I knew it was love from that moment. My parents and the King started taking boxes into the house while my siblings explored the front yard looking for good secret hideout places. They wanted to place a tree house for so long that my dad had promised to build them one once we moved. Meanwhile, Spiny started playing with his shoelaces.

I sat down on the grass a few feet away from him. He noticed and looked up at me. I smiled at him. He cleared his throat and scooched further away from me. At that moment, I thought to myself He's nervous. That means that he likes me! Of course, now I realize that I pretty much freaked him out. I mean, I know how little boys believe in cooties and all that. But of course I wasn't thinking about that.

I don't know what got into me. But before I knew what I was doing, I was leaning over to him, closing my eyes and puckering my lips. But instead of a kiss I got a scream. Spiny screamed and got up and ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He didn't get too far. He bumped smack into Ethan.

It was kinda funny, the way he bumped into him. But it didn't help that Ethan had watched The Incident, as I call it now in private, and he had a nasty look on his face. When you're in the 4th and 5th grade, boys absolutely cannot be friends with girls without suffering humiliation. So try to imagine a girl trying to kiss a 7-year-old boy.

"Well, well. Look at the two new lovers. Come on, boy, you afraid she's got cooties? You don't want to smooch? Mwa-mwa-mwa!"

What Spiny did next should have made me mad, but for some reason it didn't. Spiny stood up and looked at Ethan square in the face. Even though he was seven, he was already Ethan's height. Spiny's always been very tall. I've heard a lot of people say that his doctors have said that he might already be a six-footer by the time he's a sophomore. Oh, that would be wonderful!

Anyways, Spiny got mad and he punched Ethan. He fell backwards on the grass, holding his hand to his face. I got all giddy and giggly, because I thought to myself Oh, he's so cute! He loves me so much that he's fighting for me!

I don't think Ethan ever told on Spiny because our parents never talked or said anything about it. Ethan quickly got away, tears in his eyes. Spiny then ran like crazy back to the Palace, slamming the doors behind him.

That night when I went to sleep, I kept thinking about what had happened. I couldn't help but smile. He was SO cute! He IS cute! After that, he pretty much avoided me. I don't really blame him. I did scare him pretty good. And when we started school, I would always wave and smile at him. And of course, that's when the teasing started. Every day it was the same: Spiny and Lilia, sittin', in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! Those first years I thought I would just die for wanting to be with him. I tried to control my feelings, but I just couldn't. And it didn't help that Spiny was always dressed so neat and clean and handsome and…oh.

Once I remember that when he was nine, his parents arranged an all-boys party for all the boys of our grade. But my sister, Amanda, Megan and I managed to sneak in. Just to see him. Spiny has been a heartthrob since I can remember. They say that in kindergarten all the girls squealed when they saw him and they all sent him notes asking him to marry them.

Anyways, by seventh grade, I still was obsessed over him. But then I heard he had a crush on one of my friends, and I cried for two weeks. But when I heard that she had rejected him, and that he was very sad, I started jumping up and down. I had another chance at him! If he had been that cute as a little boy, can you imagine how adorable he looks now as a teenager?!

Anyways, one day we got a new kid. Kylie Anderson. I hated her from the start. She is superficial, haughty, rotten, overbearing, bossy, and very mean and nasty. She's not afraid of playing dirty.

And, like every other girl, she was gaga over Spiny. And, just like every other girl, he ignored her. But, unlike other girls, he rarely smiled at her and sometimes raised his voice at her to leave him alone.

Things seemed to be the same at the start of 8th grade. But, now, the way he was looking at me…I couldn't say. Maybe…no, it couldn't be…I mean, I'm not pretty or smart. He would never like me.

But then he asked me to the 8th grade dance at the beginning of the year. And he's almost kissed me several times now. It's been about two months or so since the last time. And I'm still as dreamy about him as always, if not more so.

And he's already asked me several times to be his girlfriend! I get all giggly when I think about it. But I guess he's either being dared to or something. He's probably lost interest because he hasn't talked to me that much these past weeks. I guessed that it was pretty much over. He just probably had one of those many crushes that are so contagious in the 8th grade.

But on a certain April evening, I was outside, doing some yardwork. One of the many thousand reasons why I'm considered nerdy, weird, and geeky at school, but I don't care. I love yardwork. I've planted flowers, trees, and just about any plant in the dictionary. I was checking my roses, my back to the street, when a voice startled me. "Hey, Lilia!"

I stood up quickly and turned around, not realizing I'd yanked one of the roses by the roots. And when I saw who it was, I was even more startled. "Spiny? What are you doing here?"

"Well, I…I, um, just thought I'd stop over to, you know, say hi." Wait, wait wait! He'd stopped over to say hi. To me!

"Oh," I said, my voice trembling. "Well, that's nice."

He smiled. That unforgettable, cute smile of his. I couldn't help but be entranced by his eyes. The intensity of his blue eyes just enveloped me. But I knew I couldn't stand there staring without looking strange. "So, how are you doing?" I asked.

"Oh, we're doing fine. How's your family?"

"Fine, we're all still breathing," I said laughing quietly. He smiled again and my heart started pounding again.

He sighed. "That's good." A deep awkward silence followed. We both fidgeted for a while and looked at the ground. He cleared his throat. He ran his hand through his hair. They say that's what he does when he's nervous. I wanted so badly to run my hand through his hair. I shook those thoughts before I did something stupid like trying to kiss him again.

"Listen, I wanted to ask you something." He looked at me. "I, um, well…I…"

Was he…was he trying to…no, he wasn't…he would never ask me out on a…but what if he was…I had to try to encourage him. If he didn't say what he wanted to say, even if it wasn't what I thought, I would die from the suspense. "Yes, Spiny? What is it?"

He gulped. He was shaking so much. His hands were just trembling. Before I knew what I was doing, I grabbed both his hands with mine. I just couldn't stand to see his hands shaking like that. I wanted to comfort him.

I didn't realize I was holding his hands until he looked into my eyes. I gulped, too. He looked down at our hands. "Would…would, um, would you…" He sighed. Then in a very fast pace he said, "Would you like to go out on a date with me tomorrow night?"

I stared at him. I could feel my heart stopping completely and my mouth dropped open. He was looking into my eyes. His wonderful blue eyes were sparkling. He was asking me out on a date?! I've been waiting my whole life for this day! And now, it's here. Spiny, my Spiny is asking me out.

I felt a smile coming across my face. "Are…are you asking me out on a date, Spiny?"

He nodded, "Yeah," he whispered.

I felt happiness surging all over me. I couldn't believe it! I smiled at him and nodded. "I would love it. I'd love to go out with you."

He smiled back at me. His cute smile. "Great! So, is it all right if I pick you up at six o'clock? The town fair is still in; it's their last day. We can go there if you like?"

Going to a fair with the cutest, handsomest, and most wonderful boy in the world! How exciting! The boy that I've loved since I was seven has finally come to me! Not to mention his amazing, angelical singing voice!

"Sure, I'd love that! Sounds like a lot of fun!" I said, trying to hide my excitement.

"Well then, it's arranged. I'll be by tomorrow at 6."

I nodded in agreement, then my eyes trailed off him. I guess I was trying to come to terms with what had just happened. I was turning around and getting ready to say goodbye, but he grabbed my hand and held it softly in his. Then, he took my hand and kissed it. My pulse froze and I felt my face getting red. He was blushing, too.

We stood there holding hands for a while, until reality disrupted that amazing moment. "Lilia!" my sister's voice yelled from inside the house. I blinked my eyes and pulled away my hand from Spiny's. I said goodbye and ran to my house.

I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe it. I never thought it would happen. After all those years of him ignoring me, avoiding me, never smiling at me, it's finally happened. I realized that I had rendered completely smitten to him. All of the sudden, the world seemed brighter and better.

I stood there, staring at the door. "Lilia, what took so long? Lilia?" Rebecca saw me smiling. "I don't mean to be mean, but are you planning to stand there and stare at the door, smiling all day?" She grinned.

"Can't I, please?" I said, giving a happy, breathy laugh.

Her smile got bigger. "What is it? What happened to you?" Without breaking my smile, I told her word for word what had happened between Spiny and me. "Then, he asked me out on a date for tomorrow night," I finished saying.

She smiled and giggled. "Really? Spiny asked you out?"

I giggled and nodded with her. "Yeah!" She hugged me. "Oh, that's great!" She looked at me. "Wait. We have to get you a new dress. And shoes. And make-up. And perfume!" She ran from one side of the house to the other, yelling and waving her hands and whatnot.

I finally caught her. "No, wait! I don't want anything new. But, would it be possible to lend me one of your dresses?"

"One? You can have ten, for all I know. And I'll fix your hair up, and put just a tad bit of make-up, and paint your nails, and…"

"Oh, thanks, sis, but you don't have to do that."

She shook her head. "I don't want any arguments. I am going to help you. And that's that. Okay?"

I sighed. No use fighting this time. "All right. Thanks, sis. I love you!" I said hugging her. She hugged me back. "I love you too! You're growing up so fast! Pretty soon, you might have your first kiss."

I felt my face burning. "Oh, Rebecca, come on!"

"Well, do you think it's impossible? Besides, you know you want Spiny to be The One, huh?" she said, teasingly. I pushed her away, still smiling. "Oh, stop it!"

I walked up to my room and collapsed on my bed. I had a very blissful sleep that night, the smile having a permanent residence on my lips. I never stopped smiling all night. I loved it.

My life was now complete.


	3. Chapter 3

**What was I doing? She'll never accept! But, without hesitation, I took the plunge, as they say, and came out straight. "Do you want to go out with me tomorrow night?"**

 **But when she said yes…I felt like doing cartwheels! I asked her and I knew it would pay off. Well, she said yes and we made our arrangements. And I even kissed her hand before she left. I felt so good that I…I just didn't know what to say. I returned to my Palace, still smiling. When I opened the doors, hearing the occasional yelling between Kathy and Larry. Well, he didn't yell back at her. But he wasn't admitting anything, either.**

 **"All right, mister smarty-pants! You did it, didn't you?"**

 **"No, I did not! It was…it was…it was Robert!"**

 **"Oh, it was Robert, huh?"**

 **"Yes, it was him! He did it!"**

 **"You mean Robert can put a whoopee cushion on a seat and hang from the tail from the ceiling, dropping spitballs on my head? Look at my hair!"**

 **"Yeah, I know. It's a mess. You should take better care of it."**

 **"Doh! That's not the…oh, forget it!"**

 **By this time, I was walking down the hallway. I walked past Kathy and Larry as they were arguing, not aware for a single minute of what they were saying. I slipped into my room, threw my jacket away and fell onto my bed.**

 **After a while, the arguing died down, and Kathy and Larry stepped into my room. "What's with Camille?" said Larry. He walked over. "Come on, cheer up."**

 **"What's with you?" said Kathy. "You look…weird. To be honest, you're smiling so…so…so…"**

 **"Weird and creepy, that's what," said Larry.**

 **I sighed. "Shut up, Larry."**

 **"Eesh!" He walked away to the bathroom. Kathy sat down at the end of my bed. "What's up?"**

 **I sat up and looked her. "Sis, I owe you an apology and a thank you."**

 **"You do? How?"**

 **"I went over and asked Lilia out for tomorrow night and she said yes and I kissed her hand before leaving."**

 **She started smiling and I could feel my face turning red. "You…you did?"**

 **I nodded. "Yep! Sure did. What do you think of that?"**

 **"Well…I guess I owe you an apology."**

 **I nodded again. "I'd say you do. But because I'm such a good and caring brother, I'll forget it for this once."**

 **"Okay, you're not that good."**

 **I smiled sarcastically. "Nobody asked you!"**

 **She rolled her eyes and her arm around my shoulder, holding me tight. "Oh, Spiny. But no, seriously, I'm really happy for you. I'm sure everything will turn out all right."**

 **"Yeah, me too. Hopefully I won't make a huge fool of myself as I usually do. Well, enough of all this talk. I need my ten hours of rest."**

 **"Don't you mean 18 hours? You need about that much sleep so you won't fall asleep in class."**

 **I smiled angrily. "That's not funny."**

 **"It is to me."**

 **"Oh, forget it. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."**

 **She stood up and kissed me on the forehead. "Goodnight, Casanova."**

 **I scoffed. "Goodnight, Great Wise Advisor on Dates. Okay, scratch the Wise part."**

 **She laughed and left the room, closing the door. I got into my pajamas and under the covers. Wait, where was Larry? Was he still in the bathroom?**

 **I leaned up and looked at the bathroom door. "Hey, Larry?"**

 **"What?"**

 **"AHH!" He was right next to me! "How'd you get here? What are you doing here?"**

 **"I live here!"**

 **I rolled my eyes. "I mean, how did you…never mind. I'm tired. Let's go to sleep. Can you turn the lights off, please?"**

 **"Aww? You still scared of the dark? Oh, but don't worry. I won't tell anyone."**

 **"Larry…I need to the lights to be off because I can't sleep with lights on. Now shut up and go to sleep!"**

 **"But you…"**

 **"SHUT UP!"**

 **Finally, he shut up. Sheesh! What does it take to make Larry do something or follow an order? I mean, I was his superior. And just because he's second in command in the country doesn't authorize him to make a mockery of my life. Or to prank me. But he still does it. What kind of twisted mind is inside his head? If he had a mind to being with.**

 **Well, enough of that.**

 **I slept blissfully. And I wish I could have slept more, but, since I was going to school, I woke up early. When I got down to breakfast, carrying my school stuff, Patty said, "You're going to school today?"**

 **"Yeah, well, it's been two weeks since last time. So I figured that it was time. Besides, the final exams are coming up and I want to start studying from now."**

 **At that moment—the worst possible moment—and as if on cue, guess who came in singing, "Spiny and Lilia have a date! Spiny and Lilia have a date! Spiny and Lilia have a date!" Robert. Yeah. Typical annoying, immature preteen boy.**

 **I turned around and have him a stern look. "Why don't you be quiet?"**

 **He giggled. "Oh, so you do have a date?"**

 **"Listen, Robert, you better not make fun of me. Because one of these days, you're going to start liking girls, too, and then Greeny will make fun of you."**

 **"Ha! Me? Like girls? That's about as far from my mind as Pluto is from the sun."**

 **"Oh, come on don't exaggerate."**

 **"Boys, boys," said Patty. "Please, not in the morning. We're about to have breakfast. Now look, Spiny is going on his first date. He have to support him and not make fun or take it lightly. It's a very important day in his life and he wants our backing."**

 **That pretty much made Robert shut up. Why couldn't I do that? I mean, I had the full authority. But, I didn't want to get riled up over trivial stuff. Anyways, we got down to breakfast. The whole family. But to be honest, I wasn't really in the mood for eating. I had extreme butterflies.**

 **I was too darn nervous to eat. And if I eat when I'm overly nervous or anxious, I lose my breakfast. And that's the last thing I need.**

 **When we were all finished and leaving, Patty said, "At what time is your date?"**

 **"Six in the evening. We're going to the town fair. We want to go before they leave tomorrow. Sort of last minute event, you might say."**

 **"Sounds wonderful. You ought to be very thankful, you know? You were very brave to go and ask her after all these years. I'm really proud of you."**

 **I smiled at her. "Thanks, cuz. I really appreciate it." I looked at my watch. "Well, we better go. Don't want to be late."**

 **Greeny and Robert had already left on the bus that took them to the elementary school. Kathy, Patty, and I usually rode our bikes, especially in this beautiful weather. I walked out into the fresh spring morning, full of contentment. Patty's appraisal only reinforced me to do the right thing. When we walked out the gates and started to turn to walk down the street, there I saw her. Coming out of her house.**

 **My heart stopped. She was there; in all her iridescent beauty. Lilia closed the door behind her and caught me staring. I started panicking and quickly turned around and joined the girls who were already ahead of me. I felt footsteps, and before I knew it, Lilia had also joined us.**

 **She said, "Good morning, Spiny."**

 **The girls didn't seem to notice that she was walking with us. Better that way, anyway. I smiled at her as charmingly as I could, and said, "Hi, Lilia." Great. Now, I was stuttering. Why couldn't I be myself around her? Why the heck was I nervous?**

 **"How are you today?" I asked, trying to be sincere.**

 **"Oh, fine. Still breathing. Never easy, but still there," she answered.**

 **"Yeah, I guess so."**

 **We were both quiet for the rest of the walk until school. But then something happened that even shocked me. And you know I'm shock-proof. Well, maybe you didn't know. Well, now you do. And you and I know each other pretty good, considering I've only been telling you about my life's story for about 9 months.**

 **Anyways, what was I saying?**

 **Oh, yes. Now I remember. We were talking about walking. Walking is a very good exercise. Not only do you reduce pollution—even though that is nonexistent in Amarkia—but you also strengthen your muscular, skeletal, immune, and respiratory/circulatory systems, but you also release stress and anxiety. You also release endorphins in the brain that make you feel good and get to explore great landscapes but that is not what we were talking about.**

 **What the heck was I saying? Oh, goodness! This is so embarrassing.**

 **Oh, right. The little happening just before entering Sauropolis Junior High School.**

 **We were walking up the steps, when someone bumped into Lilia and she dropped her books. We both bent down and began gathering her binder with pages dancing every way in the breeze. Lilia and I reached for the same book and our hands touched. We looked up at each other and smiled. I felt and electrifying surge of energy going through my arm.**

 **I felt my face leaning towards hers. She was doing the same. I closed my eyes and prepared my lips. Then…a voice cut me off and instantly ignited the fire of anger in me.**

 **"Hiya, Spiny!" said Kylie. Oh, no! I pleaded. Not now! I DO NOT need that flirt bothering me now. Or ever, as a matter of fact. I felt the rage rising in me. You'd think my "number-one fan" would be supportive or even nice. I stood up and scowled at her.**

 **No Mr. Nice Guy this time. "What was that for, Kylie?"**

 **"It's okay," Lilia said calmly. "I've already picked everything up."**

 **"No, it's not okay," I said to her. Then I turned to Kylie. "You going to answer, Kylie?"**

 **She answered as if the most obvious question in the world. "Oh, really? I mean, come on! What are you doing hanging out with the freak of Amarkia anyway?" Freak?! My blood started boiling. But of course, that didn't stop Hillary Duff. "Consider that a warning, cupcake. You got about one chance left to come to your senses and see who she is and who you are and who I am. Otherwise, you can tell your little friend here that she can start writing her will and digging her grave."**

 **My mouth dropped open about two feet. Okay, maybe just two inches, but you get the idea. I was….enraged. I was utterly disgusted. Repulsed. I looked at Lilia and could see the pain in her eyes.**

 **I know it's wrong, but at that moment, I wanted to pull every last of her blonde hair and destroy her "cute" face. Or worse. I felt like slapping her or even hitting her. What kind of inhumanity does it take to get someone as low as Kylie? I really wanted to do something, but I didn't.**

 **Seeing Lilia all hurt like that really touched me. Watching her expression of pain made my heart sink. I wanted to get her away from all that, even for a little while. I grabbed her hand and walked to a quiet spot. To the back doors, to be more specific. We sat down on the steps.**

 **I could see tears starting to form in her eyes. I got frantic and my mind raced at a hundred miles per hour, trying to think of a way to cheer her up. I could tell she was fighting back the tears. I couldn't stand to see her struggle like that.**

 **I said the only thing I could think of. "Listen, you don't have to look out for yourself and always be brave. I'll take care of that, okay?" I tried to sound as soothing and friendly as possible. She started sobbing. Great! Now look what you did, jerk! You made her cry! Well, I couldn't take it back.**

 **I put my arms around her and pulled her as close as possible. I stroked her hair and smelled her sweet scent. Made my nose ticklish. I sat there wondering what I could possibly do. What could she be thinking? We didn't say anything for a while. Then, when her sobs started getting quiet, I looked at her face and wiped away her tears. I shuddered as my finger touched her face.**

 **Then I kissed her on the forehead. She put her head on my shoulder and put her arms around me, holding me closer. It felt serene; it felt perfect. Then, I heard the last-minute warning bells ring. I looked at her. "Are you okay?" I whispered softly.**

 **She sniffled and nodded. "Okay, I'm okay," she replied. Was she covering up? Or was that sarcasm? I was hoping it was neither.**

 **"Come on, we should get inside. Don't want to be tardy." She didn't reply or anything. We both stood up. I grabbed her hand and went back through the front doors. The moment we stepped in, everyone stared at us. But I didn't care. I only cared about Lilia. I straightened my back, held her hand more firmly, and we walked down the hall. As we passed more kids, I heard whispering and more whispering.**

 **But I was proud to be walking with Lilia Woods. I wanted to let people know that I like her. I wanted everyone to know that I love her. But…did I know that?**


	4. Chapter 4

That morning I got ready as soon as possible. I wanted to see him. And I did. I saw him walking out of the gates with Kathy and Patty. He looked nice. He always looks nice. No, not nice. Adorable. He looks adorable. Oh, it's because you should see his face…it's so perfect. He's cuter than all the boys from One Direction. He's cuter than Zac Efron, Josh Hutcherson, Nick Jonas, Matthew Underwood, Jeremy James Kissner, and Nathan Kress all combined into one. And Chayanne. This is a fact; ask any other girl from Amarkia. They'll give you the same answer.

The boy was once and probably forever more dazzling. He was looking in my direction. Even from 20 meters away his intense blue stare pierced through me. But just like that, he turned away and caught up with the girls. Do I still weird him out? I thought to myself. I went up beside him.

At first things were a little silent and awkward, but we got to talking just a little bit. Then, silence again. I never thought I would ever make him nervous. How could I?

Then, when we were at the front doors of the school, my books got knocked down. We both got down to pick them up. And when we reached for the same book and our hands touched, my heart froze. He looked at me. I got lost into his beautiful blue eyes. His beautiful face. He started leaning towards me. I felt my face leaning, too. But, just then, Kylie came along.

She started saying nasty things to me, while Spiny argued with her. How could Kylie say all those horrible things? Calling me a freak? Threatening me with death? I couldn't take it. I could feel the tears swelling up behind my eyes. I was going to tell Spiny to just leave it at that, but he grabbed my hand and led me to the back doors where there was no one else.

He both sat down on the steps. I couldn't hold it back any longer. I could feel the tears starting to roll. Spiny looked at me; straight in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Lilia. Don't listen to her. Okay? She's a jerk and a bully. I don't care what anyone else thinks. I like you." Did he just say he liked me? He actually likes me? "You don't have to be brave and always look out for yourself. I'll take care of that, okay?"

At this point, I was sobbing. It was like the Hoover Dam bursting after a flash flood. Spiny pulled me into his arms. He began stroking my hair. With every stroke, more tears came out. I could feel my heart getting warm. I put my head against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat and closed my eyes to its strong, steady, and calming sound. I knew at that moment, that Spiny was more than the sum of his parts, and maybe, just maybe, more than the sum of my heart. I got very drowsy and started falling asleep, still whimpering and with dried tears on my face.

I wanted more than anything to fall asleep right there in his arms. But my peace was interrupted when the warning bell rang. I didn't want to go. I wanted this moment to last forever. "Are you okay?" Spiny whispered, as he wiped away the last remaining tears. "Great; I'm great," I said dazed. Spiny held me tight and then…then he kissed me on the forehead. Oh, it was wonderful. It was pure bliss. His lips felt so soft; I wanted them on my cheek and on my own lips. The warmth of his lips spread throughout me.

He sighed, then he said, "Come on, we should go inside."

Do we have to? I thought to myself. I reluctantly stood up. But since he was still holding my hand, it gave me support. When we got inside, everyone stared at us in a weird way and was whispering. But Spiny ignored them.

It felt nice.

Final exams were coming up, and we had to pair up in teams to do some huge science projects. They would count a half of our final grades, so everyone was nervous. For different reasons. Spiny and the Gang was nervous because they were thinking of ideas. Kylie and the popular kids were nervous, trying to think ways of cheating or forging projects. They weren't worried in the least bit about passing or not.

"Now," said Mr. Mitochondria, our science teacher, "here's what we'll do to choose our pairs. All the boys will stand up and all the girls will raise their hands. Each boy will choose his partner from among the girls. When she is chosen, she will lower her hand, and both will come over to this wall and grab the instructions and stand by for further instructions."

Mr. Mitochondria clasped his hands. "Very well. Let's begin. Um, all the boys please stand up. Very well, thank you. All girls raise your hands. Thank you. Now will Spiny please begin?"

All the girls got giggly and started waving their hands wildly. I have to admit that I had the urge to. Spiny waited for about ten seconds, and then he said, "I choose Lilia." I felt my face blushing as he smiled at me.

Kylie had a nasty look on her face, and the rest of the class said, "Oooohh!"

We both ignored them, and walked up to the front. While we waited for all the other pairs to be made, I whispered to Spiny. "How come you chose me?"

He looked at me, his dreamy expression looking at me. Just looking at him made me blush again. "Because I like you."

"Like…as a friend?"

He shook his head, and then gently grabbed my hand. "No, I like you more than a friend." I smiled and looked down at our hands. I held onto it as hard as I could. If it wasn't for the fact that we were in a classroom full of people, I would've kissed him. He's so sweet and nice.

After school, he meets me just before I leave to go home. "So do you want me to call you or should I just pick you up?"

Oh, right! Our date. "Um, no. I'll be ready. Six o'clock is okay."

He nodded and smiled. "All right. I'll be there." He kissed my cheek then ran away before I could do anything. I loved how he did it. I wondered how it would feel if he kissed me on the lips. Sigh. I just knew it would happen soon.

I wasn't 100% sure of what was happening between us, but I really like Spiny. I may even love him. But whatever it is, I'm sure it means something. I just hope for the best. I knew that that night would be unforgettable.

I got home at around 4:10 pm. I quickly did my homework, then showered and started to get ready. Naturally, being a girl has its downsides. For example, a great problem is trying to decipher the impossible: boys. It's very hard to get their attention, to get them to notice you.

Getting ready was a nightmare. I was so nervous, I was shaking all over. It was barely 5:30 pm and I still didn't know what to wear. I was staring at my closet. I am clueless when it comes to dates. I want to look nice for Spiny. I want to impress him. I want him to think I'm beautiful.

KNOCK KNOCK! "Who is it?" I said.

"It's me, sweetie," said my mom.

She came in and I ran over to her. "Oh, Mom, I have no idea of what to do. It's my first date. I don't know what to wear. I don't know what to say to Spiny. Please, tell me what to do!" I pleaded. She hugged me and laughed. Then he started stroking my hair.

"Oh, Lilia, you need to calm down." She walked into my room and picked out a yellow dress. "Wear this. It'll bring out your eyes in a lovely way." I smiled at her and slipped the dress on. I started brushing my hair.

"How did you feel on your first date with Dad?" I asked.

She sat on my bed and smiled. "I felt sick to the stomach and terrified. I didn't want to go. I actually thought about calling and canceling our date," she said laughing and looking at me.

"I don't want to cancel my date with Spiny," I said.

She stood up and patted my shoulder. "Then you're okay. Spiny is a very fine young man. Your dad and I both approve of him. He treats everyone with respect and dignity. He's also a gentleman, humble, very kind, and generous. He's unselfish. That's all good. And he loves you, too, Lilia. Everything will be okay," she said.

I smiled at her and placed my brush on my dresser. "I hope you're right."

"Lilia. I'm a mother. I'm always right," she said.

I smiled and rolled my eyes.

But if you think getting ready was difficult, then you're wrong. My mental state for the upcoming evening was torture. But in a way, I was ready. Dressed, and at 5:54, I was sitting in the living room, waiting. Just then, I heard a knock at the door. My heart stopped beating and I froze. My father opened the door and…phew! It was one of the neighbors.

But just as I'm starting to relax and she's leaving, I see someone walking up behind her. I started smiling on the inside and then it surfaced to my face. I floated towards him and gave him a small wave. He looked at me with those irresistible eyes and that smile. They've always dazzled me, but this was different. It was just…wow!

"Hi," I said to him.

"Hh-hi, L-Lilia," he stuttered. He opened his mouth but no words came out. There seems to be a million things going through his mind, but as if he's hesitating to expose them to me. But he didn't say anything. It was then that I realized that he had his arm behind him. When he held it in front of him, I saw he was holding a bouquet of flowers. I grabbed them and smelled their sweet scent.

Then I turned my gaze back at him. And once again, I'm lost and wandering in his eyes. We stood there for what seemed to be a fixed moment, just taking in each other. No words, no movements, just stares. We had no knowledge of the world around us, just us. My father came, looking at both of us and took us out of our trance by breaking the silence.

"You're welcome to continue your date here if you like. Or you can go home and be back by nine. Your choice," he said with a chuckle.

Spiny returned the laugh. "I think we'll take the latter, Mr. Woods. And don't you worry, sir. I'll have her home in time. She's in good hands." He looked at me and smiled.

"All right. Well, bye dad," I said, hugging.

"Have fun," he whispered in my ear. Then Spiny took my hand and we started walking down the street. The fresh and sweet spring breeze brushed through us. "Well, I must say, Casanova, I am very impressed. The flowers and your usual and natural suave debonair self were all quite smooth. But the stuttering was pretty much the killer," I said teasingly.

"Yeah? What about your lingering stares?" he teased. "You must have four other dates for the carnival this evening," he said with a wink. That made me blush.

"No, but seriously. Thank you for the flowers. They're beautiful; how did you know irises were my favorite?"

He smiled and rolled his eyes. "Oh, I have my ways. Besides, I noticed how many you'd planted in your garden. You're…you look so beautiful. You literally took my breath away." Everything he said made me smile and blush. We talked and laughed about everything. We had a great time. It all seemed be right. Being with him felt like coming into the familiar; as if I'm anchored.

I didn't feel alone. The whole time, he had my hand in his, which sent a constant surge of electrical surge throughout my arm. For once, I felt connected. No alienation, just belonging.

We were in the Ferris wheel when it got stuck while we were at the top. But I didn't complain. I almost didn't notice. It was very chilly up there, but Spiny had his arm around me. We had been asking each other questions all night. The more I listened, the more I learned about him. And the more I learned about him, the more I fell for him.

"Okay," I said. "What is your favorite place in the world? A place you can take refuge and forget about all your problems?"

"That's a hard one. Inside or outside Amarkia?"

"Hmm. Inside."

"Well…there's this super-beautiful place in the mountains and forest behind the palace. It's this large and very old but strong tree. It turns so beautiful in the fall. It's right next to a large, crystalline blue lake. And in the spring the fields around turn red, yellow, orange, and blue from the flowers. It feels so soft to lie on it."

"Sounds wonderful."

"It is. And with the snow-covered mountains all around you and the very clear sky and fresh air…" he sighed. "It really is paradisiacal."

"What about outside Amarkia?" I said, trying to hide my shivering.

"Well…there's a beautiful little town in the middle of the Alps in Switzerland. I don't remember the name of it. It was on a program on PBS. The show was called Rick Steves European Travel. It was so majestically. Just a tiny little town. Great food, wonderful people, breathtaking landscapes, and so isolated from the crime-filled and chaotic cities." As he finished, he took of his jacket and put it around me. "Thanks, how did you know I was cold?"

"You've been shaking and shivering. Now, what's your most most valuable possession?"

"I have a pillowcase I've had since I was a year old. It's all torn and ratty, but it means everything to me. It contains all my childhood. It makes me feel comfort and safe." I looked around us and said, "I like being up here. It's like nothing can happen."

He smiled at me and held me closer as the Ferris wheel started to move again. We went on to the rest of the carnival and I won three prizes. We drank hot chocolate and played games. Which he let me win. Then when we walked home, he took my hand and kissed it and said goodnight. I felt exactly how I had yesterday when he'd asked me out. I went up to my room and sat on my bed with a smile.

I just knew that this was the start of something magical. Something that could triumph above any other happiness that I had experienced. I lied down to go to sleep, but couldn't. I was thinking of just about everything. I loved this night. It was one of the best nights in my life.

My fears had disappeared when I saw him for the first time. And they say that only happens with soul mates. Is Spiny my soul mate? If he is, I'm okay with that.

I loved tonight. I loved who I was when I was with him. And…I think I love him.

Little did I know that a couple of days and weeks would change everything.


	5. Chapter 5

**What ever happened in the past 12 to 48 hours really took a toll on me. I had jumped to conclusions and pretty much overreacted as well. But I could tell something was definitely up. And in a way I could understand why.**

 **I mean, you can tell by seeing what kind of a person I was before sense was knocked into me. I was a grade-A, category-7, magnitude 10.9 jerk with Lilia. All those years avoiding her, being dishonest, mean, and etc. I knew what the task at hand was. I had to make sure that night would be the best night of her life and convince her I don't hate her anymore. I want…no, I need for Lilia to accept me and call me her boyfriend. No reluctance or residual doubt. Just pride. Healthy pride, of course.**

 **As I was going over my whole plan to win her heart, the final bell rang. Three hours. I now had three hours to mentally prepare myself. I asked her whether I had to call her or just drop in to pick her up. "I'll be ready, don't worry," she said.**

 **"Okay. See you later then." I kissed her cheek and quickly ran, my face blushing. I quickly rushed home. Then I started on my algebra homework. Half-heartedly, I should add. Not only because I was scared to death, but because I've always HATED algebra. I detest it. I loathe it. I despise it. Ironically, I've always gotten A+'s on it.**

 **Anyways, I was in the living room with Patty. She's always around just in case to help me with algebra. She's a whiz at it. Out of the blue, she said, "How are you feeling, Spiny?"**

 **I looked up. "Huh? Oh, just fine, Patty."**

 **"Are you sure? I don't think so because you're reading your algebra textbook upside-down," she said, giggling.**

 **Huh? What the? Oh, yeah. I did have it upside-down. Well, what do you expect? I was very nervous. Embarrassed, I turned it back rightside-up. "All right, I'm not okay. I'm pathetically nervous about my date with Lilia. How else am I supposed to feel?"**

 **She smiled reassuringly. "It's completely normal, Spiny. You'll be fine. Lilia likes you, I can tell. You've got nothing to worry about." That gave me some reassurance, but for some reason I felt that this was going to end in a train wreck. "Thanks, that makes me feel better."**

 **By 5 pm, I was still unsettled and unsure. I'm really scared that I'll screw things up. You know, say something stupid or do something stupid. Because if I do, all this happiness will be nothing but a memory. All my nerves seemed to magnify and intensify. Losing Lilia as a girlfriend would be one thing, but if I lose her as a friend…I don't want to even think about it.**

 **There's a whole dang lot riding on this night. Everything we are will be scrutinized and examined. I'm the spotlight that I'm trying to avoid. So there I am, staring at my closet. I've already showered, washed my face, combed and moussed my hair; I have deodorant on, and my dress pants. But I don't know what shirt to wear. I'm staring at my dress shirts. Why the heck is this so hard?**

 **But I want to look nice for Lilia. I want to impress her.**

 **I turned around and saw Kathy standing by my door.**

 **"Hi, Kath," I said.**

 **"You ready for your big date with Lilia?" she asked. I shook my head.**

 **"I don't know what to do, Kathy. I don't know what to wear. I don't know what to say. I'm more confused than ever!" She smiled and walked up to my closet and handed me a beige dress shirt.**

 **"You're just anxious and panicked. I mean, it's pretty obvious. What do you have to worry about anyway? Lilia is a great girl."**

 **"What are you insinuating? I have good reasons to be nervous. And yes, I already know, Lilia's great and I'm me."**

 **"Just finished getting dressed and don't be scared. Lilia Woods obviously likes you for you. Just be yourself. Everything will be fine," she said. I put my dress shirt on. Matched with the tan-colored dress shirt. Then I put on a red tie. I knew I had to be myself around Lilia. But that's hard to do when I'm around her.**

 **"How did you feel when you had your first date with Richard?"**

 **"I felt just like you feel. Scared, confused, and stupid. My stomach felt like it was going to explode. I couldn't walk straight. My hands wouldn't stop shaking." That's exactly how I felt at that moment. How did she get over it?**

 **"How did you get over it?"**

 **She looked down and smiled. "When I saw him, everything changed. My fears went away. That's what happens with soul mates, you know. All your fears disappear when you're with that person. Listen, big brother, you're a catch. An annoying catch, but a catch nonetheless. She likes you. You like her. Tonight will be fine."**

 **I stared at her and smiled. I hope she's right. I hugged her. "Thanks, sis. Well, I have to go."**

 **"Spiny," she said as I turned to leave.**

 **"Yeah?" I asked her.**

 **"Everything will be all right. Oh, and here. She'll love this," she said, handing a bouquet of irises.**

 **"How do you know she likes irises?" I said.**

 **"I have my ways," she said. "Now go. Get out of here; it's 5:52 already."**

 **And so I left, out into the fresh spring breeze. Very nervous I walked up to her house. Oh, when I saw her.**

 **Everything came to a halt. Everything including my mental and speaking capabilities. I saw true beauty. Behind her were sunbeams peeking through from the window, though Lilia did that on her own. But it did give her an enchanting glow. And when she smiled…it was breathtaking. As we walked, the breeze danced around her yellow dress which made it move like a pendulum; swaying back and forth like a bell.**

 **Her hair cascaded to one side. She was radiant, outshining any star. She was perfect. Elegant. Iridescent.**

 **We finally got to the carnival and contemplated which rides to go on. We talked and laughed over ice cream, pretzels, and cotton candy. (It was my first time eating cotton candy, to be honest. I'd always wondered what it was like.) I tried to pay for her, but she wouldn't let me. Even after I insisted. She ended up paying for both of us. I moved from holding her hand to putting my arm around her. I tucked away the money I owed her in her pocket.**

 **Then we got on the Ferris wheel. I'll never forget that. It was our first real conversation. We mostly talked about our hobbies and interests. Our likes and dislikes. What we wanted to do with our lives. Our favorite actors, TV shows, movies, plays, stories, songs, singers, and other stuff. We were so busy that we didn't notice that the Ferris wheel got stuck when we were on the top.**

 **She asked me what my favorite place in the world was; where I could take refuge from all my troubles. Then I asked her what her most valuable personal item was. I learned more about her in those few minutes than in all the thousands of years she'd lived across the street.**

 **After leaving the carnival, I walked her home, helping her carry the prizes I'd let her win. By now I had my arm around her waist and she had her arm around my back. It felt really nice.**

 **When we got to her front door, I said, "Well. Here we are. And with half an hour to spare."**

 **She smiled at me. "Thank you, Spiny. Thanks for tonight. It's been really great. I enjoyed being with you."**

 **I put my hands in my pockets and smiled. "I enjoyed having you too. You're a really great girl. I loved spending time with you. You really are an amazing person." She blushed. Gosh, she looks cute when she blushes.**

 **How could it be that I make her smile, laugh and blush that easily? Lilia. The most amazing person in the world. And I'd spent a whole evening with her.**

 **I exhaled. "Well. I guess we should say goodnight then."**

 **She blinked and looked down. "Yeah, guess so. Goodnight, Spiny. And…thank you. For everything."**

 **I looked into her eyes. Her beautiful caramel/hazel eyes. "No, thank you." I gently took her hand in mine and kissed it. We both smiled and blushed. Then she said goodnight and stepped into her house.**

 **I sighed and started walking back to the Palace. The entire night air felt serene. Tranquil. My stomach was still jittery. But it was the kind of butterflies that you don't want to leave. I stepped in quietly into the Palace. I went to the kitchen to grab chocolate milk and a banana before brushing my teeth and going to sleep.**

 **I took off my jacket and loosened my tie while I drank the milk. I was alone with my thoughts when Kathy walked in. She was in her pajamas, looking drowsy, and her hair all messy.**

 **With a drowsy voice, she said, "Hey."**

 **"Hey. Did I wake you up?"**

 **She shook her head. "No, it's all right. I wasn't too sleepy. How did it go?"**

 **I smiled and looked down at my glass. Then she smiled and sat next to me, putting her hands on my left shoulder. "Come on, tell me. What happened?"**

 **I basically told her everything from start to finish. We talked and laughed more until I grew too tired and went to my room. Of course, Larry was already fast asleep, sending up a long line of Z's. Kathy had been right. Your fears really do disappear when you're with your soul mate. And if that means that Lilia is my soul mate…well, I couldn't be happier.**

 **Nothing much happened the next day so let's just skip to Monday during science class. If you'll recall, Lilia and I had been assigned as partners on the science projects for the end of year final grades.**

 **Mr. Mitochondria was saying, "Now, as regard to your projects, you already have your partners. Now we will discuss how you will do them and on what. You may do an investigate report, a science-related project, or do an oral essay with reliable source. Or you can do a combination of any. There will be no prompt."**

 **After the school day ended, Lilia suggested going to the library to find a topic for our project. And of course, I said sure. I mean, miss a chance to be with Lilia Woods? You're kidding, right?**

 **You know, even for two people who love science and all, we sure had a hard time looking for a good topic for our project.**

 **"How about we do a solar powered vehicle?" Lilia said.**

 **I shook my head. "I don't know. Too complicated. I don't know peanuts about how those things are assembled."**

 **"Oh. How about we just do a volcano?"**

 **"Too simple and cliché."**

 **"Oh, yeah." She stared back at the numerous books in front of us. She sighed. "Well, what do you suggest, Spiny?"**

 **She says my name so beautifully. Why doesn't she call me cutie pie or handsome like all the other girls do? No! Wait! No time for that now. Concentrate on the project. Anyways, I got to thinking. "Well. Something that's not too simple or too complicated. Something…" At that moment, my eyes came across a chart on a wall that was titled Amarkian Industrial Revolution. It had pictures of when Amarkia developed trains, engines, and electricity thousands of years before humans did.**

 **"Eureka!" I yelled.**

 **Lilia and about ten other people said, "Shh!"**

 **"Sorry," I whispered. "But I think I have an idea."**

 **"Yeah? What is it?"**

 **I pointed at the chart on the wall. Then I turned to her and smiled. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"**

 **A sly smile started to form on her perfect goddess-like face. "Yeah…a project about the first modern Amarkian inventions! Sure. Nobody ever does things about that anymore."**

 **"Exactly. Everyone will surely do a science one or on modern inventions. But most people don't realize that without the Amarkian Industrial Revolution we wouldn't be the most medically, scientifically, industrial, or technological advanced nation in the world today."**

 **"Right. Let's get all the books we can get on that."**

 **"Good. Listen, you get all the books you can find on the Amarkian Industrial Revolution, and I'll look up on encyclopedias and books on machines and inventions. Sound like a plan?"**

 **"Sure does," she said cheerfully. Did I ever say how cute she looked when she smiles?**

 **"All right, then," I said clasping my hands together. "Let's get to it!"**

 **"Yes, sir," she said playfully.**

 **I couldn't help but smile. I mean, finally, I was getting to know the true Lilia. I could see that she was starting to be herself around me. It made me feel great. Like the king of the world.**

 **After we checked out a few books, I said to her. "You want to get an ice cream or something before we study?"**

 **"Um…well, I wouldn't want you to waste money on me, Spiny?"**

 **Oh, she's so modest. "Oh, come on. I want to buy you something. Besides, we both know that I have plenty of money to spare." We both laughed. I loved making her smile. Her laugh was like the quiet and crystalline stream running through the forest in autumn. Or like the sound of a waterfall in the mountains.**

 **Anyways, I said, "Come on, Lilia. Give me the pleasure of being nice to you." I put my hand on her shoulder. "Now I won't take no for an answer."**

 **She smiled and sighed. "You're a really nice guy, you know?"**

 **"Well, you know what they say. Sweets to the sweet." I got closer to her. "And, let's face it; you're the sweetest girl I know."**

 **She looked down at the ground and pulled her hair behind her ear. "Well, I'm not that great." She looked up. She was looking at me real hard. "Why are you being nice to me?"**

 **I felt my entire body go cold. My legs and arms trembled. "Wha…what do you mean?"**

 **She shrugged. "I mean, I really appreciate it and all, but…I mean, you've hated me and avoided me for so long. Why all of the sudden?"**

 **My heart started racing again. Geesh. If I kept hanging around Lilia, my heart was going to burst. I cleared my throat and put my hand behind my neck. I sighed. "Well…like I said to you in science class the other day. I like you."**

 **"You really like me?" she said in a quiet voice.**

 **I nodded. I felt my face burning. And it wasn't because of the sun.**

 **"I like you too, Spiny. But…you probably already knew that, right?"**

 **I laughed. "Oh, no! Just because you chased me all these years and never took your eyes off of me. Why should I think that?"**

 **She shook her head and slapped my arm. "Spiny, really! You ought to be a comedian."**

 **I shrugged. "I can't pretend to do or say funny things. They just happen to me."**

 **Afterwards, I bought her and myself two ice cream cups, and then we went to her house to study. She'd invited me to dinner, even though I'd insisted that it would be too much trouble. But before I could stop her, she'd already texted her mom saying that she wanted me over for dinner.**

 **What could I do?**

 **And to be honest…heh heh. I kinda was hoping to be able to spend a little while with her and her family.**

 **I called Kathy and told her to start dinner without me. "Why? I'm making lamb chops with onion and bell pepper. And for dessert Patty's making a Bavarian Cream pie."**

 **Oh, darn! That sounded really good. They were amongst my favorites. I loved that dish.**

 **But, well…you know…never mind.**

 **"I, uh, I just can't."**

 **"Why not?"**

 **"I, I just can't."**

 **"Are you going to be in the office?"**

 **"No."**

 **"You have to travel somewhere?"**

 **"No."**

 **"Are you going bowling again without telling me?"**

 **"No, I…why would I do that?"**

 **"Because you always invite the cutest boys and never invite me!"**

 **"Oh, pipe down! That's not the reason."**

 **"Well then, what?"**

 **"I, uh, I'm going over to Lilia's house to study and then she invited me to have dinner with them."**

 **Silence. Then I heard snickering. "Are you laughing?"**

 **"No…I mean…" then she burst out laughing.**

 **"Thanks a lot!" I said. Then I hung up. I guess some things sisters just don't understand. Oh well.**

 **Anyways, a little while later, Lilia and I arrived at her house. I would never forget it.**


	6. Chapter 6

After we'd left the library, Spiny insisted on buying me ice cream. Oh, it was so sweet of him. "Oh, you don't have to," I said. But he kept insisting, saying that he wouldn't take no for an answer and bought me ice cream anyway.

I thought to myself, Isn't it a boyfriend who buys things like ice cream of lemonade for the girl? Does that make us a couple? Just the thought of that made me blush and smile.

I thought it was so nice and romantic of him, that I wanted to repay him by inviting him to my house to study and for dinner. At first, he said that it wasn't necessary. But after I insisted, he finally accepted. I almost jumped up and down and danced from joy.

Afterwards, when we got to my house, we stepped in—he held the door for me and let me go in first—and tried to resist the urge of dancing of joy again. I called out to my mom to let her know that we were home.

She came and hugged me. "Hi, sweetie, how was school?"

"Just great, Mom."

Then she turned to Spiny, who gave her a polite smile. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Woods."

"Hello, Spiny. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm doing quite well, thank you."

She smiled at both of us. I knew what she was trying to tell me. "Well," she said, "I sure hope you two can have a good science project. Takes a lot of hard work and studying. And of course, a good dinner meal."

Spiny and I laughed. Oh, Mom. Then my mom left to the kitchen and said she would make us a little snack while we studied. "Well," I said to Spiny. "Shall we start studying?"

"Sure."

"Um, where do you want to study?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Wherever you want."

"How about the living room?"

"Sure," he said, smiling. He carried the books we'd gotten from the library and followed me to the living room. We both sat on the couch, not more than two feet from each other. Just breathe, I told myself. You're here with him to study. And that's all he's got on his mind. Yeah, but you could've studied over the phone! Oh, but I want him here next to me. He's so close…so close…

"Hello-oo? Lilia!"

"Huh? What?"

"Didn't you hear me? I was saying what our thesis statement should be for when we present our project."

I felt my face turning red. "Oh, right, right. Yeah. Well…um, why don't we read through these books first?"

"Sounds good. Here, you start on this one that talks about the first water vehicles," he said, handing me a mid-sized book. "I'll start on this other one that talks about history of machines in Amarkia." He grabbed the thickest book. He reached out for his backpack and got out his journal for school and turned to a fresh page.

"You need paper?" he said.

"Oh, no. I have my own journal," I said, picking out a dark purple notebook. He smiled. "All right. Taking notes is going to be very important, you know. But a lot of people don't do it."

I nodded. "I agree. I mean, some people have good memories, but it's safer to write it down."

"Yeah, and, like me for instance; I could read something right now and fifteen or twenty minutes later, I'll forget completely. And especially if it's for a big project. I guess the nervousness makes me more forgetful."

I laughed. "Yeah, I'm like that, too."

He smiled then started reading. I did the same. We were there for like an hour. But for some reason, to me it felt like a long time. An hour isn't really that long. Once in a while, I caught myself looking up at him and smiling. Even when he was doing something as simple as reading a book and writing in his notebook, he still looked so cute and adorable. How was it possible that anyone could be so gifted with beauty?

Once he caught me looking at him. I quickly looked down at my book, feeling my face burning. Then, once or twice, I caught him looking at me. He did the same thing. Blush, and quickly turn back to his book. I could feel butterflies in my stomach.

A little while later, I finished reading mine. "Finished," I said.

Spiny looked up. "Really? Did you take notes?" I held up fourteen pages of notes. His eyes popped open. "Wow! That's really going to help us, you know?"

I grinned at him. "Hopefully. You done with yours?"

"Ah, not yet. I'm like halfway through."

"You really like reading, don't you?"

He nodded. "Oh, yeah. I LOVE reading books. I can't live without them. It's my passion."

Things got quiet for a while, and then I heard myself say, "Can I read it with you?"

He had a shocked look on his face and I immediately felt bad for saying it. "You…you want to read it with me?"

"Well, if you want to. If not, it's okay. I mean, I don't want to bother you."

A small smile started forming on his lips. "No, it's alright. But are you sure you won't feel uncomfortable?"

"As long as you won't."

He scooched closer until our shoulders were touching. It made my skin tingle and sent my heart racing way above normal.

He put the book out so we could both see it. He pointed to where he was reading. "I was just starting here where it talks about the first electrical engines made in Amarkia."

I followed his finger and started reading as slow as possible to enjoy this close moment with him. And he would always ask if I was finished reading before turning every page.

Then, about ten minutes before Mom called us for dinner, he did something unexpected. He kept his eyes on the book, while taking notes with his right hand. Very slowly, he very gently put his left arm around me. The warmth of his hand on my left shoulder sent shivers all over me.

I blinked my eyes and let myself relax in his embrace. And, ever so gently, I rested my head on his shoulder, snuggling as close to him as possible.

He closed the book and dropped the pencil. Then he looked at me. I was lost in the intensity of his blue eyes. He blinked and smiled at me. I could feel myself smiling back. Our faces were only inches apart. He closed his eyes and started leaning towards me. I closed my eyes and waited for the touch of his lips.

I could practically feel them when…. "Lilia! Spiny! Dinner's ready!"

I opened my eyes. Spiny and I quickly scooched away from each other to opposite ends of the couch. I could hear my heart beating.

Without speaking, we both got up and walked to the dining room. Spiny pulled out a chair so that I could sit down and helped me into my seat, and then he sat down next to me. By now, the rest of the family was sitting down.

My mom came in carrying in a large silver tray. "Here we are." She set it down in the middle of the table. She had served roasted turkey stuffed with peas and carrots. And Rebecca had made salad and mashed potatoes with gravy. And the turkey was laid on a thin layer of spinach leaves, along with red grapes and lemons.

"Mmm! Looks very good, Mrs. Woods," said Spiny. He's so polite! Sigh. It's a shame that he doesn't have his parents anymore. It's wonderful to have a mom and a dad. I'm sure that he must miss them a lot. Must be hard for such a sweet guy like him.

Mom said, "Why, thank you, Spiny. And believe me; you're going to love the taste even better. And I made a special dessert just for you, too."

"What did you make, dear?" said Dad.

"Butterscotch-pecan pie."

"Oh, great!" said Micah.

"My personal weakness," said Ethan, placing his napkin in his lap.

"I didn't know you liked that kind of pie, Mom," said Rebecca.

"If Larry was here, he would've probably said, 'I didn't even know you could make a pie out of that,'" Spiny said.

We all laughed at that.

We had a pretty good conversation during dinner, especially between Spiny and my dad. I really liked that. That meant that Dad really approved of Spiny. I was glad.

After dinner, Mom said for us to wait till the dessert was ready. I realized that the weather was just beautiful. So I invited Spiny to our backyard and you know, sort of show him around since he'd never seen it before.

It isn't that much. Sure, it's kinda big but there's not that much to it. My dad has his workshop where he does most of his designing work. We have about ten or so acres of land, mostly rolling hill and prairie with mild forest cover. We have some farm animals. We have sheep, cattle—like that that comes from the Middle East, in its natural form, not like those poor animals in the US, where they are all fed on hormones and artificial stuff—and also chickens, geese, turkey, goats, and horses.

With a barn and stables and pastures and all.

We also have a large vegetable garden with just about every kind of vegetable under the sun. And we also harvest and grow fruits and our own grain, oats, wheat, and make our own sugar, butter, and yogurt.

Spiny acted as if he'd never been on a farm or in a garden before. But I knew he was just acting to make me feel better. He's so sweet!

He also loved the greenhouse and my flower garden. He particularly liked the latter. I asked him why. He said, "Because it was made by the nicest and smartest girl in the world. Why else?"

He always made me feel wonderful. And when we headed back to my house, he held my hand. That sent electricity up throughout my arm and made my skin tingle. Then we both sat on the back steps of our porch.

We started talking again. About stuff. I can't say exactly what about, but it was a conversation that I will always treasure in my heart. All I know is that he listened to me completely, asking questions, and trying to get to know me better. And just like at the carnival, the more I got to know about him and the more I told him, the more I fell in love with him.

We talked for minutes, then after laughing about something he said, we quiet down and look at the horizon. The sky is still blue, slightly tinted with orange. It's about 6:40 pm or so. Sunset is not far away. I suddenly felt sleepy, and remembered the day before our date. When Spiny had taken me in his arms, to comfort me, and I had tried to sleep in them.

I yawned, and, with my heart pounding, I put my head on his shoulder. I heard a pounding, but didn't know whether it was my heart or his. I put my right arm around him, and he tilted his head on mine. He put his left arm around me, holding me as close as possible. And then, with his right hand, he grabbed my left hand and held it there.

After a while, I fell asleep. It was a peaceful, blissful sleep. I had gotten what I wanted. I felt more secure than anywhere else in the world. I wanted to stay there forever. I don't know how long we were there, but when I woke up, the sky was already orange, pink, and purple. The sun had already gone below the horizon.

I could smell the pie that Mom had made. We both stood up silently and turned around to go inside. We stepped inside without talking or even looking at each other. As a matter of fact, when we stepped inside, Spiny asked Mom if he could take his piece of pie back home with him. He said he needed to do something he forgot.

That sounded strange to me. Had he been weirded out by all this evening? After saying goodbye to everyone, he stepped out the door, and sort of jogged or ran back to the Palace. But, just before, he gave me a hug, then a quick peck on the cheek.

It left my head spinning and my whole body froze, including the brain. I stood there for so long that someone passing would have thought that I was lifelike statue or something. I'm not kidding.

Finally, I went inside and up to my room. I started doing other things to try to distract myself from all that had just happened that day. But almost immediately, Mom came in my room, a glimmer in her eyes.

I cocked an eyebrow at her. She looked positively conspiratory with her mysterious smile and an air of excitement. "What is it, Mom?"

"Nothing," she says, but the expression on her face clearly says something else. Her smile says that she knows a big secret but I don't even though I'd like to. She held up a digital camera. I stared at her blankly, not understanding any of this.

Without saying anything, she sat beside me on my bed. I sat up so that I could look over her shoulder. She turned on the camera and went to the photo stream. "Ta-da!" she said. "So adorable."

My mouth dropped and I snatched the camera out of her hand. "What?! You took a picture?" She grinned like a preppy girl who was letting you in on a secret and got all giggly. "I should print out, right? Such a cute picture."

On the screen, Spiny and I are sitting on the back steps of the porch. When we had fallen asleep in each other's arms. My head on his shoulder and his head tilted on mine. Our hands holding each other. Mom managed to get a surprisingly terrific shot—she got in some of the beautiful, blazing sky, a few wisps of clouds, and all the prettiest parts of our backyard. It feels completely rural-like—it felt like nature.

My face reddened slightly. For obvious reasons, I felt embarrassed, but also happy. I'd woken up to Spiny's gentle shakes, so I didn't know that he had fallen asleep, too. And the way our heads rested on each other…I had to admit it was a very cute picture. A part of me was glad that Mom hadn't woken us up and took the time to take such a cute picture.

All I could think of saying was, "It looks so…so professional."

She noticed my red face with a grin. "Your dad thinks so, too. He said we should frame it."

I nearly sputtered. "Well…it's no masterpiece. Just saving the file and letting me have a good quality print would be fine." I could imagine it now. If Mom had that framed, Ethan and Micah would never let me hear the end of it.

"Don't worry, Lily. I was just kidding." She turned the camera off, and put it on my nightstand. Then, she took my hand in hers and held it.

"What's the matter, Mom?" I said concerned.

"How does that picture make you feel?" she asked. All of the girlish giddiness was gone from her voice. She looked serious now; her honey-brown eyes—the same color as my own—observing me steadily.

"Happy," I said. "Um, embarrassed. Why?"

"Why? Why happy and why embarrassed?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Happy because…it felt nice being like that with him; the guy of my dreams." I remembered the picture. How easily Spiny's cheek rested on my hair. "I don't know why embarrassed. I guess because it feels…so close."

Mom sighed.

"Lilia, look. I know that you've liked Spiny very much for a long time now. And I don't blame you. He's a very handsome young man and is well-mannered and all that." Handsome? He's cute, that's what.

"But…you have to remember that teenagers, and especially boys, often have insecurities that make them act in a certain way. Just…just be careful, honey. See that none of you get hurt, okay?"

I nodded and sighed. "All right, Mom. I'll keep it in mind. Thanks."

She smiled and stood up. "I'll go make you a print of the picture," she said, winking.

I got into my pajamas and brushed my teeth and my hair. Then, just before turning out the lights, Mom came in with a print of the picture.

I held it in front of me for a long time. I kept sighing, smiling, and blushing. I would never imagine that Spiny would ever take an interest in an average girl like me. I also kept thinking of what Mom said. But I was sure that I knew Spiny well enough that I was almost sure that he liked me. I mean, he'd already dated me once, and kissed my hand and my cheek several times.

I kissed the picture on the spot where Spiny's face was, held it close, then put it under my pillow. I turned out the lights, and as I fell asleep looking at the starry heavens, I could see his smile.


	7. Chapter 7

**When we stepped in Lilia's house, she called out, "Mom, I'm home!"**

 **Lilia's mom came and said hi to her daughter then to me. Of course, I was as polite and respectful as I could possibly be. To show Lilia that I really did care about her and her family.**

 **After Lilia's mom left to the kitchen, Lilia said to me. "Well, shall we start studying?"**

 **"Sure."**

 **"Where do you want to study?" she said.**

 **I shrugged. "Doesn't really matter. Wherever you want."**

 **"How about the living room?"**

 **"Sure," I said, smiling to her. I carried the books we'd gotten from the library and followed her to the living room and sat beside her on the couch. We were about two feet away from each other, and I could already feel my heart pounding as it always does when I'm near her.**

 **I tried not to think of that, as we had a lot of work to do. First, we needed an opening statement for when we presented our project to the class. More technically, a thesis statement. "So, what do you think our thesis should be?"**

 **I was looking down through the books. Lilia hadn't answered.**

 **"Lilia? Lilia? Hello?" She was just sitting there, staring into empty space.**

 **She blinked and broke out her trance. "Huh? What?"**

 **I repeated my question. She blushed and said, "Oh, right. Yeah, um, why don't we start reading first?"**

 **"Sure," I said. I handed her a medium-sized book and I grabbed the thickest one. Then we started reading. We were there for about an hour or so. Occasionally, I'd catch myself looking up at her. I simply had to admire her incomprehensible beauty. The way the sunlight shone off her silky-smooth, soft-looking, light-brown chocolate hair. I wanted so badly to caress it, and play with the ends of her hair with my fingers. And her beautiful face. Her divine, angelical face. How was it possible that she could looks so gorgeous doing something as simple as studying and taking notes?**

 **I just couldn't understand. And her honey-brown eyes. They made you just smile when they looked at you. I really loved it when her hair fell over her face and she threw it back. It looked…wow.**

 **Only thing was that she caught me about once or twice looking at her. Naturally, my face would redden and I'd pretend to be reading. But you know what? I also caught her looking at me. Made me feel warm and jittery inside.**

 **A little while later, she said that she was finished. I was honestly surprised. But, to prove it, she held up about fourteen pages of notes. Wow. She was very studious. That fact was undeniable.**

 **I wasn't finished with my note-taking and reading, so I continued. Then she said, "Can I read with you?"**

 **I stared at her, shocked. "You…you want to read with me?"**

 **"No, I mean, if you don't want to, that's okay."**

 **"No, no, no. It's all right. I don't mind," I heard myself say. But I didn't think. We scooched closer to each other until our shoulders were touching. My stomach exploded into swarms of butterflies.**

 **And then, I very gently put my left arm around her. My heart started racing again. And when she put her right arm around, my heart pretty much was starting to jump out of my ribcage.**

 **When I finished reading, I put away my book, and with my right hand, I took her left hand and just held it there. We looked deep into each other's eyes. I could even see my reflection in her eyes. I smiled at her. She did the same. I closed my eyes and leaned my face slowly to hers. I could practically feel her lips when her mom called us for dinner.**

 **We got up and went to the dining room in silence. I pulled out her chair and helped her into it. I sat next to her. Her mom came in and served the whole family dinner. After everyone had their plates and had sat down, the whole family started conversing.**

 **Lilia's dad especially talked to me quite a lot. "So, Spiny," he said. "How are you doing in school?"**

 **"Pretty fine, I guess. It's all really hard work and all, but it pays off in the end."**

 **"Sure it does." He was quiet for a while then he said, "What do you plan to do after school?"**

 **"After high school?"**

 **He nodded. "Yes."**

 **"Hmm." Uh-oh. I, uh, heh heh. I hadn't given that too much thought. "Well, I'd like to keep studying, but, I still a country to run. Besides, I'll still have a family to take care of. Kathy and Patty are probably going to college. But Robert's still going to be a sophomore and Greeny will be in 5th grade." I shrugged. "So, I'll stay home, running things, I guess."**

 **"Hmm, I see." What an idiot I was! He was doing the Father-of-Girl-Interrogating-His-Daughter's-Date bit.**

 **"And what do you do in your free time?"**

 **Gulp. I panicked. "Well…I read, write, listen to music. Um…maybe you didn't know or maybe you did, but I'm working on my first album."**

 **"Hmm, I see." Great. He was gonna probably to hate me for not being in football or studying to be a lawyer or something.**

 **I cleared my throat. I felt my heart beating in my throat. What else was he going to ask me? Well, he stopped asking and he pretty much started conversing. I can't recall exactly what about, but by the end of it, I felt much better. He talked to me as if we were close friends.**

 **I really enjoyed having dinner with Lilia's family. Because to be honest…it had been a long time since I'd sat down at a dinner table with a full family. With a mom and a dad. It made me think of my own parents and the last time we'd had dinner as a family.**

 **I almost cried because of sadness and nostalgia. But I also had plenty of smiles. I was glad. I felt a lot more self-confident.**

 **Afterwards, Lilia's mom shooed us out of the dining room. She said she would call us while dessert was ready. Lilia took me out to their backyard. I'd never seen it before, obviously. It was huge! It was quite a backyard. They have acres of land and gardens and a greenhouse and animals and everything.**

 **Pretty amazing, the whole thing. It was no ordinary place that was for sure. You could tell that they—especially Lilia—had taken a whole lot of time and effort in order to make it pretty. I told her that I especially liked her flower garden and the way she'd fixed the front yard.**

 **"How come?" she said.**

 **"Because it was made by the loveliest and smartest girl in the world."**

 **She smiled and blushed. I loved making her smile and blush. She looks so beautiful! Afterwards, we both sat down on the steps of her back porch. We were side by side, looking at the perfect blue sky. It would be sunset in probably an hour or so. We started talking again.**

 **"It sure is a beautiful afternoon," said Lilia.**

 **"Sure is." I looked at her. "Thanks, for having me over for dinner."**

 **She smiled sweetly at me. "Your welcome, Spiny. I really enjoyed having you. You're the best dinner companion we've had."**

 **I sighed. "It was really nice. I…I hadn't been at a dinner table with two parents since…" I looked away. I could feel my throat close up. Lilia put her arm around me and got closer. "I'm sorry," I said.**

 **"It's okay. I know it must be really hard."**

 **I nodded. "I think of them every day. And just about every day I cry."**

 **She rubbed my shoulder. "It's okay to mourn. You have to let your emotions out."**

 **"Yeah, I know. Thanks for being an understanding and caring person."**

 **Her face light up. "And you're such an amazing and nice and friendly guy."**

 **That made me jittery all over. I loved hearing her say that. We smiled at each other and then blinked and looked off into the distance. We started talking about other stuff. Just about everything under the sun. We talked and laughed. Then silence came over again.**

 **Lilia yawned and leaned her head on my shoulder. My breath shortened and my heart started beating in a frenzy. I could smell the sweet scent of her shampoo and it almost made my cry. Her hair smelled so fresh.**

 **Almost instinctively, I put my arm around her and pulled her as close as possible. I could hear her heart beating. Or was it mine? I couldn't tell. She put her arm around me. Then, with my other hand, I grabbed hers and held it softly.**

 **A thought flashed through my mind. Only couples hold hands like this.**

 **I'm not sure how long we were there. The sky gradually started changing from blue to fiery orange, then to hues of purple and pink. Birds are chirping, and the crickets start to play their nocturnal song. In the distance, I can hear the quiet river going through the forest behind the Palace.**

 **Next thing I knew, Mrs. Woods was calling us to get the dessert. When I blinked my eyes open, the sun had already gone below the horizon and there was little left of its glow. As I blinked groggily, I noticed strands of Lilia's hair in my face.**

 **I had fallen asleep on Lilia's head and in each other's arms. We both stood up and turned around and went inside. "Dessert is ready!" Mrs. Woods said.**

 **"Mrs. Woods? Is it all right if I take the piece of pie home with me. I, uh, just remembered that I have to do something."**

 **"Of course, Spiny. Here you are. And please say hi to your family."**

 **I nodded. "I will."**

 **"And, we were very happy to have you here." She turned to Lilia. "Right, honey?"**

 **Lilia's face reddened, but she smiled and said. "We sure did."**

 **I honestly felt like swinging her around and kissing her. But I didn't, for obvious reasons.**

 **I said goodbye to everyone and stepped out the door, Lilia accompanying me. "Well, bye," I said quickly, kissing her on the cheek. Then I ran as fast as I could back across the street and to the Palace.**

 **I ran in, knocking down Kathy who was carrying a full load of laundry, ran up the stairs, and to my room. I put my stuff aside and fell on my bed. I looked up the ceiling. Kathy came a little while later.**

 **"Hey!" she said.**

 **"Hi," I said.**

 **"How did it go?"**

 **I want to say what happened, but instead, I stood up and looked at my sister. "I'm not jumping to conclusions, but…I think we're only a little bit further away from being a couple."**

 **She smiled. "Really?"**

 **I smile, though part of it embarrasses me. "Yeah. I think it's only a matter of time."**

 **At that moment, Patty walked in. She had a mischievous look on her face. She's carrying her iPad. "Hey, Loverboy," she said.**

 **I cocked an eyebrow at her. "Okay, what is it?"**

 **"Look what Rebecca sent me, Casanova." She held up the iPad. And…GASP! It's a picture of Lilia and me, sleeping in each other's arms on the steps of her back porch. Our hands wound around each other and our heads leaned together. The sunset casts a beautiful and majestic orange veil over everything. Either Mrs. Woods or Rebecca took that picture. I felt my cheeks get hot, but I also felt happy that someone had seen us like this.**

 **Kathy's eyebrows jumped. "Hey, hey, hey!" She elbowed me teasingly.**

 **I pushed her away. "Oh, stop it!"**

 **"I think you're already together, you know?"**

 **I sighed and rolled my eyes, but the smile didn't leave my face. I guess I really was happy. And that didn't help my defense. Patty said, "Hey, look, he's smiling. He's happy. He liked being like that with her!"**

 **I put my mouth over my hand to…no, wait! I put my hand over my mouth to hide the smile and I turned away. Didn't help. They both went "Ooooh!"**

 **"All right, all right. So I enjoyed myself very much. I liked being that close to her. You happy now?"**

 **They both giggled. That really tore me up. "All right. Look. I've said it once, and I'll say it again. I love her. And there's nothing more I'd like than to be her boyfriend. But, I think the time is now coming for me to declare my true feelings for her."**

 **Kathy sighed overdramatically. "Ohh, you're so romantic!"**

 **Eesh! "All right, cut it out."**

 **"Why? She doesn't have any scissors," said a voice behind me. I turned around. "Oh, hi, Larry. What's up?"**

 **"Oh, lots of things. The sky, the ceiling, the roof, the stars, the moon, the atmosphere, our satellites, our rockets, our space colonies, our drones, our planes, comets, asteroids. Regular stuff."**

 **I ignored his stupid remarks. "Well, I'm going to sleep. I am exhausted. Goodnight to one and all." Kathy and Patty both came over and kissed me goodnight. Then, I changed into my pajamas, brushed and flossed my teeth, and got under the covers. First, I wrote in my journal all the events of that day.**

 **Just before I turned out the lights, Larry, who was already under his covers, said to me, "Hey, Spiny?"**

 **"Yeah?"**

 **"Look. I know I'm always teasing you and all that, but I want to say something with complete seriousness and honesty."**

 **"Sure. Go ahead."**

 **He smiled at me. "I hope that everything that with Lilia comes out as you want it, and that you two may be the happiest couple in the world."**

 **I smiled back at him. "Thanks, Larry. It really helps to know that you care."**

 **"Sure. Goodnight."**

 **"Goodnight." I turned out the lights and lay back on my pillow. I had the best friend in the whole world. A beautiful family. And now…I was so close to having the girl of my dreams all for my own.**

 **Next day was Tuesday. I woke up as if a regular day. But little did I know that soon…well, you'll see.**

 **Anyways, I got up not to my alarm clock, but to Larry. "Spiny!"**

 **"Huh? What? What happened? Who am I killing?" I jumped out of my bed and went to get my rifle and loaded it and cocked it.**

 **"You're killing…nobody you, idiot!"**

 **"What? Then why did you wake me up? And who are you to call me an idiot!"**

 **"I woke up you up because you have to go to work, and who am I to call you an idiot, you say?"**

 **"Exactly!"**

 **"Larry, that's who I am!"**

 **Ugh. I didn't have time for this. Well…since I'd been given a rude awakening, I couldn't go back to sleep. I had no choice but to shower and change to go run my country smoothly in a rough world.**

 **A few hours later, after breakfast, and dressed for work, I said goodbye to everyone and grabbed our lunches and my thermos. Stepped out into the fresh air and said, "Ahh! Larry I don't know why I didn't realize this before, but for some reason, the spring mornings here seem more beautiful."**

 **He gave me a sly look. "Ya think?"**

 **"Yes. Just listen to the orchestral chirp of birds. And the song of the wind running through the embracing branches of the trees, who gave given us their beautiful flowers."**

 **Larry rolled his eyes and said, "Oooh! You are so in love, boy. You can't help yourself."**

 **I stepped into TIV and turned on the engine and started driving down the road. Lilia hadn't come out of her house yet, so I couldn't wave goodbye and smile at her like I had wanted to.**

 **Oh well. Anyways, we got to the Palace and got down to the office five stories beneath the ground and got to work.**

 **For some reason, I couldn't concentrate too much. Don't know why, but I kept staring off into empty space.**

 **"Spiny?" Larry yelled.**

 **"Huh? What?"**

 **"You are really out of it today."**

 **"Out of what?"**

 **He squinted his eyes at me. "Oh, come on. You know what I'm talking about, lover boy?"**

 **"Cut it out!" I yelled angrily at him.**

 **"I don't have any scissors."**

 **"Ugh! Look, I am in no mood for…"**

 **"You're never in the mood for anything."**

 **"In the mood for your stupidities and clownish acts of childish displays."**

 **He laughed. "Yep. You are definitely in love, boy."**

 **I sighed and looked at him. "Listen, you have never had these feelings before, so you couldn't possibly understand or know how I feel, okay?"**

 **He shook his head. "Yeah, you're right. I've never experienced them before."**

 **"Then how can you say that you understand? How can you know that I am actually in love?"**

 **He sighed. "Because I know you. And I know people. And you're part of people. Plus, we've been friends and been under the same room for a very long time."**

 **That was true. Very true.**

 **"Well…you see Larry…well, look. I'm sorry I've been touchy lately."**

 **I shrugged. "You don't have to worry about me, Spiny."**

 **"Thanks. Anyways, you see, I really appreciate that you try to understand me. I'm really touched by that. And you have been a good friend." I started pacing as I often to think clearly. "But…love is…love is more than just a feeling. More than just an emotion. It is a part of everyone's heart and soul. It is a force that moves us to do great deeds of all kinds."**

 **He twisted his mouth to one side. "Guess so."**

 **I sighed and sat down back at my seat. "I'm hungry. Want to have lunch now?"**

 **"Sure. Why don't we order dessert from the delicatessen?"**

 **I nodded. "Sure."**

 **I gave him his lunch and we started eating. A little while later, our jelly donuts came. We were laughing about some recent comedy movie. Don't remember which one. It was an Amarkian-made film.**

 **"No, but you know what would really get a lot of laughs?" I said to him. At that moment, Fal, my Budget Supervisor came in.**

 **Larry pointed at him and said, "Him wearing a bikini."**

 **Yikes! You should've seen Fal's face. He looked like he wanted to murder Larry. He stared at him and said, "Yech!"**

 **Then Larry said to me, "You know why Fal is his name? Because his mom couldn't spell Blech!"**

 **Trying to hold my laughter, without much success, I said. "Come on, Larry. Let him be."**

 **"If I let him be what he already is, he's bound to make a fool of himself."**

 **"Fal, what it is?" I asked. The quicker I got him out of here, the better off he'd be. He handed me some papers. "Oh, those are your car insurance renewals. I need you to sign those for me."**

 **I nodded. "All right." I signed all the places he had indicated me. "Here you are."**

 **"Thank you, Spiny." Then the turned to leave. Just before he got out the door, Larry said, "There he goes, ladies and gentlemen! The great American symbol: the bald eagle."**

 **"Yech!" he shouted at Larry. Then he slammed the door. Larry said, "I think he's beginning to like me."**

 **I snorted. "What makes you say that?"**

 **"His door slams are getting softer."**

 **I laughed. I looked at the time. It was almost three. Middle school was about to go out for the day. I felt very tired. I told Larry I'd meet him home later.**

 **I texted Kathy asking her that if she wanted me to pick her up. She said, no, that she wanted to walk with the girls. I made a mental note to myself. _You gotta buy yourself a car. You can't go driving around in a tank. A tank that was originally designed to go inside tornadoes_.**

 **As I was about to turn left to enter our driveway, I waved to Lilia as she was entering her house with a friend. HUH?!**

 **Wait a second! Hold the phone! Stop the horses! Halt! Freeze! Was that…no, it couldn't be! Either I was seeing hallucinations, or I was dreaming, or the sun was in my eyes. Or maybe the windows were dirty.**

 **Unless I was mistaken, Lilia's "friend" was…Kylie!**

 **Uh-oh. Oohhhhhhhh booooyyyyy! (You know what that means. Big-time booboo.)**


	8. Chapter 8

I woke up the next morning, still wearing a big smile on my face. I couldn't help it. I'd had wonderful and romantic dreams about Spiny and me being together.

I got down for breakfast after getting all dressed and ready for school. "Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad," I said.

"Good morning, sweetie," said Mom.

"Good morning, Lilia," said Dad.

"Hey, squirt," said Ethan, grabbing an apple about to head out.

"Aren't you going to stay for breakfast?" said Mom.

Ethan shrugged. "Sorry, Mom. I have to go early. We're studying from early in the morning to study for final exams. I am a senior, you know. And tomorrow I'll leave tomorrow early to test for a medical school."

Mom sighed. "All right, dear. But you will be home in time for dinner, right?"

"I think so." That was pretty much forced. If you were ever late for dinner at the Wood's household…you were in for big trouble with Mom. She believes that having dinner as a family is essential to having a good and close family. I agree.

Anyways, a little while later, I grabbed my books and said goodbye to Mom and Dad and headed out the door. I love walking. It brings me peace and tranquility. And since Amarkia is such a beautiful country and it has the lowest crime rate in the world; you can pretty much walk anywhere at any time of day and night.

As I got to my first class, who should come across my path but the Official School Flirt, and the most popular girl at Sauropolis Junior High. Kylie Anderson.

"Hiya, Lilia," she said.

I sighed. I hate Kylie Anderson. I can't say it about anyone else, but I HATE Kylie Anderson. I hate her because she's always trying to be at the center of attention. I hate her because she's so liked by everyone. I hate her because she always cheats and plays dirty. And I especially hate her because she's always after Spiny. MY Spiny.

Besides, Kylie was mean, nasty, selfish, superficial, and very capricious. Only a fool would set eyes on her. And Spiny is no fool. He's very intelligent and reasonable.

"What is it, Kylie?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just nothing, honey. How are you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Look, Kylie, I have to get to my first class. I have to do my research for my project with Spiny."

She waved her hand in the air at me. "Oh, that. Oh, sure. I know how that's important to you."

I stared at her. "Well, it just so happens that it is important. I want to be able to graduate, you know?"

She fluttered her eyelids. "Oh, honey, please. You don't have to pretend with me. Why, I understand why you enjoy this project."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on, Lily." Lily? Nobody ever called me that before. Besides my parents. What was Kylie trying to do? Was she trying to butter me up with comments? Because if she was, it wasn't working.

But nonetheless, she kept talking. "Everyone knows that you are gaga over Spiny."

I could feel my teeth grinding and my cheeks burning. "What are you talking about? I have no idea what you're saying?"

She laughed. "We all know how much you like Spiny. But don't worry, honey, it's not anything to get ashamed of. It's perfectly natural. And I don't blame you either. Spiny is a very likeable boy. Every girl is crazy about him."

"Look, Kylie, I have to go, okay?"

I was about to go when she grabbed my arm and pulled me back. "Wait! Wait, you don't understand, honey." What was it with this "honey" business?

"What?"

"Listen, I'm not here to make fun of you or say things to you. Why don't we have lunch together?"

What? Me? Have lunch? With her? The two of us? That sounded like a bad idea. "Um…look, Kylie, I don't mean to be mean, but were are not what the average person on the street might call bosom friends."

"Oh, sure. I know. But that's because when we first met we go off on the wrong foot. I'm willing to start from the beginning. What do you say? Clean slate?"

"I don't know…" I wasn't sure this was too smart. I mean, Kylie is an expert on cheating, lying, and pretending. She could easily fool the CIA or the FBI and they would never know that they had been tricked or deceived. I hate to admit it, but it's sort of a gift she has, tricking people.

Then she said, "Oh, come on, please?" Please? That was the first time she ever said "please" without sounding nasty or sarcastic. She was about to beg me. I guess I'm a sucker for that. I sighed. "All right. But just this once."

"Oh, goody!" she said. "So I'll meet you at your table at lunch, okay?" Then she ran off, skipping and blowing kisses to every cute boy she encountered on the way.

Boy was I confused. Really confused. What had just happened? Kylie had been nice to me? To me? To her archenemy? To her rival in trying to win over Spiny's affections? What was up with that? Had she gotten a severe blow on the head? Or maybe she tripped while doing her cheerleading dances and when she fell her brain came out her ears? Or, what was left of it anyway.

I even considered the possibility that aliens had stolen her brain or that she was now under mind control of some sort. Kylie being nice to a non-popular kid? That was like Larry dating a girl.

Weird, scary, creepy, awkward, and uncomfortable.

Was this all for real? Or…no, she was definitely up to something. She was definitely scheming something. She was cooking up some evil plan. I just had a feeling that there was more than met the eye.

Or maybe…no, it couldn't be.

But…it was possible. I mean, as nasty as Kylie was, people can change, you know? It's happened before and in more extreme cases, too. Maybe I should give Kylie a chance. She may be trying to be nice to me for a change and I should help her.

The hours between the first class and lunch went by all too soon. I got very nervous. But, nonetheless, I kept my word and after grabbing my lunch, I sat at the table with Kathy, Patty, Dimetroodon, and waited.

"All because of an apple, then?" Kathy said.

Dimetroodon nodded. "Yep. All because of an apple is that the modern theory of gravity began to take root. Hey! That's pretty good, you know. Apple takes root!"

"Well, it's good, but it's not Benny Goodman."

Patty laughed. "Oh, come on. Just because you're all into science stuff doesn't mean you can't have other good qualities."

Then Kathy looked at me. "Hey, how come you're so quiet? You're usually the one who talks the most. No offense."

"It's okay. I don't know, I just don't have the chattiness in me today, I guess."

"Why? Did my brother do something? When he gets home, I'll beat him up so bad that he'll go around the world twice!"

I laughed. "No, don't worry. It's got nothing to do with Spiny. He's the best."

"Well, then why the long face," said Dimetroodon.

"Look who's talking," said Kathy.

He smiled sarcastically at her. "Not funny." Then at me. "No, but seriously, how come your so…you know, quiet?"

I shrugged. "Don't know. Guess I don't feel like talking too much. I guess I'm just confused about a few things?"

"Like what?" said Patty.

"Well, like this morning…" But before I could say anything, I heard someone say, "Lilia, dear, honey!" Yep, Kylie. She came over and sat beside me. "Sorry it took so long. I had to rehearse a little bit more with the girls for the new moves. You know, the big final soccer game is coming up, and we have to be ready. A lot of work, but it's worth getting the attention of all those cupcake-cutie pie soccer players!"

I felt panic rising up in my throat. I tried to smile innocently. Dimetroodon, Kathy, and Patty were staring at me with such an expression that would have made someone think that someone just told them that Tokyo sank under the sea in two minutes.

"Um…um…um…she, uh, asked if she could have lunch with me. And, uh, I said yes." I heard Kathy gasping. She looked at me as if to say Have you lost your mind, girl?! I was thinking that same thought myself.

I was going to probably regret this. Then Kylie said, "Listen, honey, I don't mean to be nasty or anything, but…well, if I had wanted others to be here, I would have said so."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We get it. We can take a hint. We know when we're not wanted," said Dimetroodon. "Come on, girls." The three of them got up and walked away to another table in silence. They never took their eyes off of me.

Kylie sighed. "Ahh, much better, right? Just us two pretty girls." Us two pretty girls? Okay, she was definitely up to something. But I wasn't going to start doubting her. I didn't want her to start begging me.

Well, we started talking. You know, the usual girl talk. And you know what? By the time lunch was over, we were talking as if we were old friends!

I have no idea how it even happened, but it was true. By the end, we were talking like two popular girls having a very nice chat. I mean it. We were talking and whispering and laughing and giggling.

The rest of the day, we were together like two best friends who had known each other since kindergarten or something. She even let me stay in the gym while she and the other cheerleaders practice their chants and moves. She said that it was all top-secret and that no one else could ever see them rehearse.

Afterwards on the way out, Kylie insisted on helping me with "social life issues." Whatever that meant. I said that she needn't bother, but she wouldn't take no. So I decided that it was okay that I go over to her house for homework.

On the way out, we bumped into Jeremy Adams. He's probably the 2nd cutest boy in school. (Nobody even comes close to Spiny. But when Spiny's either sick, or gone, or the very few who don't like Spiny, Jeremy's the center of attention.) If you asked any girl—me included—to write a book about his looks, we could do it.

He's got curly hair that is between blonde and hazel. He has magnificent brown eyes, and looks good in any clothes. (Just like Spiny.) He's about an inch taller than Spiny and is slender. And he as a beautiful face, like a living Cupid.

I don't know what is it with me, but I'm completely defenseless against boys with angelic faces and severely intense eyes. Jeremy is in a way like Spiny, thought they look very different. He's taller than Spiny and is skinny, while Spiny is lean. His hair is blonder while Spiny's is black. And though Spiny's face is a lot cuter and beautiful—by a lot—Jeremy's features are more delicate, and his eyes are a clear brown while Spiny's are a dazzling blue.

"Hi, there, cupcake," said Kylie. I should add that she said it in a very suggestive tone of voice.

Jeremy smiled back at her, and I felt myself blushing. I couldn't help it. He said to her, "Hell-oo beautiful." He reached out and played with her hair.

Then he turned to smile at me. "Hi, Lilia."

I felt my face burning. "Oh, um, hi."

"How come you ain't with Spiny?" Gasp! Spiny! Okay, Lilia, just breathe. Act as if Spiny had been watching you. I shook my head. I had to keep my focus. I was so close to being Spiny's girl. I didn't want to ruin it with a simple infatuation.

"Um…he, uh, I think he went to work. You know? It's not simple being King of Amarkia."

He shrugged. "Well, to tell you the truth, I never cared too much about him."

Well, so much for stomach butterflies. That I could not forgive. I could not forgive anyone talking about Spiny. Not even another cute boy.

I cleared my throat. "Um, Kylie, don't you think we should leave now?"

"Yeah, yeah. Wait for me outside." Then looking at Jeremy, she said, "I have some, ah, unfinished business to attend here."

Um, okay? "Yeah, I'll just, uh, get out of here." I sprinted out of there, trying to get some fresh air. As I waited, I cursed myself for having thought all those thoughts about Jeremy. I cleared my mind of all those thoughts, and thought about more important things, like my final grades for the school year and graduation.

A little while later, Kylie came out. She sighed. "Boys are so immature and childish. And yet, I can never understand them. Boy am, I glad God made us women to counterbalance the imbalance and savageness that men bring. They are so degenerative." Darla and Kathy would have probably agreed with that.

I wouldn't. "Well," I said. "My parents tell me that ALL teenagers are immature. That seems to make the most sense."

"Maybe, maybe. What do you say we go to your cute little home?"

"Okay. I'll call my mom to let her know."

"Sure thing."

I texted my mom but she didn't answer. I called her but no answer. She must've gone out or something, because she doesn't leave the phone ringing unless she's somewhere important. I told Kylie so but she said, "Oh, don't worry. That doesn't bother me."

"Well…all right." I suggested going on the bike ride home, but she said, "Nah! Let's go on the bus. It's a great way to meet guys!" she said with a wink.

That's exactly what I wanted to avoid, but oh well. I couldn't say no anymore. I had pretty much lost the ability to say no. Anyways, we got to my house about half an hour later. As a matter of fact, whilst we were walking up to my porch, Spiny came over driving and I waved at him as he entered the Palace Gates.

He smiled back and it made my heart flutter again. I sighed. How I love that boy! He's so…indescribable. He's what any girl would ever want. I just couldn't wait for that day…if it ever came…that he might muster the courage to declare himself to me.

But until that day came, I'd have to keep on dreaming and imagining. Anyways, I opened the door with Kylie close behind me. I turned to her and asked, "Do you want a snack or something?"

"Sure. Whatever you have is okay with me," she said.

I went and grabbed the box of granola bars and said, "Why don't we go up to my room? We can chat more comfortably."

"Okay. Sounds good."

Afterwards, we were up in my room talking and laughing like old friends. Then, she took out her phone and started doing something on it. "Someone text you?" I asked.

"Nah. Just playing around. Say, would you get angry if I asked you something?"

"Um, depends. What it is?"

"You are very fond of Spiny aren't you?"

My heart stopped and I could feel my face burning. "Um, well, I, I, I, uh, that is, um, well…"

"Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to make you feel embarrassed, I just, you know, asked."

"Well…I guess you could call it fondness. Or affection. Or just attraction. But…well, yeah, I like him very much, He makes me feel all jittery and I love it when he smiles at me. I've always thought he has a beautiful face and pretty eyes. And he's nice and smart and good-hearted. I would give anything for him to ask me to be his girlfriend. I'd like to think that one day I'll marry him."

She blinked her eyes and smiled. She did something else on her phone then put it away. "Well, I understand you completely. I mean, like I said, every girl is trying to get to him. But it's obvious he likes only you."

"You think he likes me?"

"Oh, I'm almost sure. I mean, the way he treats you and talks about you, always praising you…yep. I'd say he definitely likes you."

I smiled down at my hands. "And you know, I'm kinda glad he chose me out of a million other girls. And most of them prettier and smarter than me."

She put her hand on my shoulder. "I know it's hard to believe to hear me say this and you have to promise that you won't tell anyone that I said this."

"What is it?"

"Appearances don't always matter." I blinked my eyes and tried to rethink all that thought. Did Kylie Anderson, the most shallow and superficial person on the face of the earth just say that appearances don't matter? I couldn't believe it! That was like Joseph Stalin or Mao Zedong attending church.

I must've been kinda obvious, because she said, "I see you're shocked. But it is true." She looked at her phone again. "Oh, well I have to go. If I'm late to dinner, Mom will start nagging me about it. You know how moms are."

I laughed. "Yeah, I understand. I have one of my own."

She smiled. "Oh, don't bother, dear. I can find my own way out. See you tomorrow."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye-bye!"

After she had left, I stayed there in my bed, feeling pretty good about myself. I had managed to impossible: turning Kylie from my archenemy into a much closer friend. How did I even manage to do that? Was it even possible that this was all really happening? Or was it just a dream? It had to be a dream.

I tried to prove it to myself by pinching myself. And it hurt pretty badly. I needed a manicure. And it never hurts when you dream, so it must've been all real. Only thing was that I would never be able to fully explain to my friends.

They all probably thought I had lost my marbles.

I was pretty proud of myself.

I should've known better.


	9. Chapter 9

**I had to be imagining it. I just had to be imagining what I had just seen. Kylie Anderson going into Lilia Woods' house as if they were old-time friends? I just had to be wrong. Either that or something was going on here. I hate to admit it, but I know Kylie a little too well.**

 **And let's just say that Lilia's a little…I don't what to say clueless, because she's not. She's innocent, you know? Too innocent. She's easily fooled and tricked. She can be a little naïve sometimes.**

 **I just knew that Kylie was up to something. It wasn't the first time she played Ms. Nice-Girl with someone, only to humiliate them later in an unforgivable way. Believe me, when Kylie's nice to you like that, it's not a matter of _if_ she'll do something horribly embarrassing. It's a matter of _when_.**

 **I stepped inside the Palace and was greeted by Greeny. He came running down the hallway. "Hi, Spiny!" He jumped into my arms and I carried him.**

 **"Hey, buddy! How were you today? Did you behave?"**

 **"Yes, Spiny. Did you bring me anything?"**

 **I put him down and searched my coat pockets. "Oh, let me see here now, um…ah! Here we are. I brought you a…dollar coin."**

 **He grabbed it, staring at it for a while. "Yay!" Then he went running up to his room. I couldn't help but smile. I LOVE it when he says yay. Makes me feel like a father, you know. I'd give my life for my whole family. I love them so much!**

 **Anyways, I put my shoes away in the closet near the door and said, "I'm home!"**

 **Kathy came out of one of the elevators. She was wearing an apron and had cookie dough stains on it. "Hey, handsome." She came over and hugged me. "How did it go?"**

 **"Oh, pretty good, considering. Where's Patty and Robert?"**

 **"Patty's helping Greeny make cookies. Robert is doing his homework."**

 **"Okay. Listen, I have to do some things up in my study room real quick then I'll rest for a while. Call me when dinner's ready?"**

 **"Sure."**

 **I was about to go up, but I said, "Say, did you see Kylie hanging out with Lilia?"**

 **She was quiet for a while, then she said, "Why do you ask?"**

 **"Well, right now when I was coming down the street, I saw the two of them going in her house. That's a little weird, don't you think?"**

 **"Yeah," she said. "As a matter of fact…no, forget it."**

 **Forget it? "How can I forget it when you haven't said anything? What is it?"**

 **She sighed. "Well…today, especially at lunch…well, Lilia was very quiet, then Kylie came over, and Lilia basically told us to move to another table and she had a very amiable chat with Kylie. Laughing and giggling and all that."**

 **"Basically told you to move? I don't get it."**

 **"Well, she didn't come right out and say 'Hey, move!' She kind of hinted it, you know?"**

 **That was weird. "Why do you suppose Kylie's been treating her so nice?"**

 **She shrugged. "I have no idea. Only that she's scheming something."**

 **I scratched the back of my head. "Yeah, that's what I think. And it's very easy with Lilia because she's easily fooled and deceived you know?"**

 **She put her hands on her hips. "You calling her dumb?"**

 **"Huh? No, I mean…well, she can be such a little girl sometimes. She's just so innocent."**

 **"Inexperienced, you mean?"**

 **"Maybe. I don't know. But, who knows. Maybe it is really happening."**

 **She scoffed. "Kylie being nice to Lilia? That's like Hitler attending a synagogue."**

 **"Kathy!"**

 **"Well, it's just very hard to believe, that's all."**

 **I shrugged. "Well, I'll try not to think about that too much for now. If I do, I'll be worried all night and won't get any sleep. I'll be up in my room, okay?"**

 **She nodded and smiled. "Okay. We'll call you when dinner's ready."**

 **"Thanks, sis. You're the best."**

 **She smiled and went back to the kitchen. I walked up the stairs up to my room and started working on some paperwork and laws. But all through the evening, I kept asking myself the same question: Why did Kylie treat Lilia so nice?**

 **Well, the question should've been for what reason. What evil little thoughts were going through the tiny mind of hers? I guess I was thinking too hard about that, because I couldn't come up with a single idea or explanation.**

 **When Larry came later in the day, I told him all about it. I asked his opinion of it. "Why do you think she's being so nice to Lilia? I mean, I'm almost sure it's for some malignant purpose, but I can't come up with anything to explain that."**

 **"I think she's planning to do something to horribly embarrass her and/or you."**

 **That made me jump. "Me? Why me?"**

 **He exhaled. "Well, 'cause you've never paid any attention to her in the 1600 years she's been living here. And I guess she thought that it was time to take drastic action, you know what I mean?"**

 **"Maybe. But that only answers the why. My question is what the meaning behind all this. I want to be able to know what's going to happen."**

 **"Hmm. I can use my Time-Travel power to go into the future and see what's going to happen, then come back and tell you."**

 **Hmm. That was very tempting. Time traveling to me is as normal as traveling on the bus or train for you or other people outside Amarkia. But, keep this a secret, okay? Nobody can know. Especially certain countries and anti-Amarkian groups. Even most Amarkians don't know that time travel is now possible.**

 **Anyways, I gave that some thought. But then I thought about something my father had said when he was alive. "Son, don't always do what's in reach for your benefit, even if it's for a good cause. You have to suffer sometimes in order to learn important lessons and see who it is who truly cares about you and vice versa."**

 **Of course, I didn't fully understand what he'd meant until much later. And, it does make sense. For example, just because someone has a magnificent singing voice—I'm not showing off here—he's not going to be singing every minute of the day.**

 **So, just because I have the ability to see what's coming up the road, shall we say, doesn't mean I should always use that ability. Believe me, I was very tempted to do, but, I don't know, my conscience told me to wait and see for myself.**

 **Well…I trust my conscience a lot more than I do my heart.**

 **"No, thanks Larry. I mean, I'm really tempted to find out, and I really appreciate your concern, but something tells me I have to find out by myself."**

 **"Suit yourself." Then he set his briefcase aside. "I'm going to keep working on some things. Tell the girls I won't be down for dinner."**

 **"All right."**

 **I quickly showered and changed, and then Kathy called me down for dinner. I caught the smell of food several feet from outside the dining room. (Maybe I've mentioned this before, but our dining room is on the second floor.)**

 **I walked into the dining room and there was Greeny with one of his friends playing with some cards. "Hey, guys," I said.**

 **They both looked at me and said, "Hi."**

 **"Where are the girls?" I asked.**

 **"Making dinner," said Greeny with a not-to-excited voice.**

 **"Uh-oh. Dinner's going to include veggies, huh?"**

 **He made a disgusted face. "Yeah. Peas and carrots and broccoli. Blech!"**

 **I patted him on the back. "Oh, come on. It's not that bad. Besides, all those things are good for you. You want to grow up to be strong and healthy and handsome like your brother, right?"**

 **"I don't want to look like Robert."**

 **Ah, uh…that's not what I had in mind, but…**

 **"No, I mean…never mind. Go wash your hands and tell Robert that dinner's almost ready. I'll be in the kitchen."**

 **I was about to turn to go in the kitchen, when Greeny said, "Hey, Spiny, can I borrow some money?"**

 **I leaned down towards him. "How much do you need?"**

 **"One million seventy thousand dollars."**

 **Huh? I started laughing. I mean, it's not that I don't have that kind of money. I do, and probably a lot more. But, I mean, what would a six-year-old, even a prince, do with that money?**

 **"You need how much?"**

 **"I lost to my friend Jerry playing Go Fish."**

 **Oh. That explained it. "Well…Jerry, would you settle for some chewing gum," I said, reaching into my pocket.**

 **"Spearmint?" he asked.**

 **"Uh, yeah," I said, handing him a piece.**

 **"And here's some for you, Greeny."**

 **"Thanks, Spiny," he said.**

 **"But he lost!" Jerry yelled.**

 **"It doesn't matter if you win or lose. It matters how you play the game." Afterwards, I walked into the kitchen, and caught the scent of food cooking. Boy, did that make my stomach start growling.**

 **"Hey," I said.**

 **Both girls were preparing the meal. "Hi," said Patty. I went over and kissed both on the cheek. "Hey, you have to do something about that brother of mine. I cannot keep up his gambling debts!"**

 **They both laughed. "Oh, you mean the little Go Fish came out there?"**

 **I nodded. "Yep. What you making?"**

 **"Steak with veggies."**

 **"Uh-oh. You burned the food from last night, huh?"**

 **"Of course not! We just thought of having steak today, that's all," said Patty.**

 **"Man, I wish you would've called me. You know how I love steak. And I really enjoy cooking, too, you know."**

 **"We should know. After all, you're the one who taught us," said Kathy.**

 **I grabbed an apple, washed it, and started eating it. I was so hungry that if I waited until dinner was ready, I wouldn't have the strength to chew. Even if I had to wait five minutes. As I was eating, Patty said, "So how's Lilia?"**

 **I looked at her. Then at Kathy. "You told her?"**

 **"No, I didn't tell her," she said.**

 **"Tell me what?" said Patty.**

 **"Oh, well. When I was driving home this afternoon, just before entering our driveway, guess who I saw walking with Lilia into her house?"**

 **"Jeremy Adams."**

 **"Huh? What? No!" Oh, Jeremy Adams is this guy from school. He's a hotshot, a show-off, a playboy, and thinks he's king of everything.**

 **Now don't call me jealous. I'm not jealous of him, because he doesn't have anything that I would want to have. I mean, I'm not too bad as far as cuteness and good looks go. And I'm not saying he's ugly but…well, I just don't like him.**

 **Like I said, he's a playboy, and all girls, even "popular" and flirty girls like Kylie deserve to be treated better.**

 **"Oh, please! How could Lilia possibly like that Jeremy Adams?"**

 **Kathy shrugged. "He is super cute, tall, handsome, has pretty eyes…"**

 **"And is a show-off, good-for-nothing, double-crossing, heart-breaking, manipulating, selfish, and megalomaniac."**

 **Kathy stared at me with a blank expression. "A megalo-WHAT? You just made that up just now, didn't you, Spiny Kyverná?"**

 **"I did not! Megalomaniac is someone who is obsessed with his or her own power or achievements. Like Kim Jong Un."**

 **"Oh, Spiny! Don't compare anyone with the cruelest dictator of the modern world," Patty said.**

 **"All right. But Jeremy Adams is a perfect idiot!"**

 **Kathy crossed her arms and said, "Spiny, you're jealous!"**

 **My mouth dropped open and I laughed sarcastically. "Boy, are you way off! I am NOT jealous of anyone. What does he have that I don't have!"**

 **"He's taller than you."**

 **"So what? He can't sing."**

 **"And he's on every sport team."**

 **I rolled my eyes and groaned. "Ugh! Why are girls SO superficial?" I leaned my head against the wall. Kathy put her arm on my shoulder, and said, "Oh, come on, Spiny, we're just kidding. You know that appearances don't matter. We're just teasing you!"**

 **Well, that was a relief. At least. "Well, thanks a lot, Dr. Spock."**

 **She just laughed and Patty said, "Okay, dinner's ready. Come on, go sit down." Kathy and I washed our hands at the sink then walked out to the dining room and sat down. Robert was just coming in and sat down beside Greeny.**

 **A little while later, Patty came in and served everyone their plate.**

 **"Where's Larry?" said Robert.**

 **"Oh, he said he wasn't going to be here for dinner. He said he needed to work on some things," I said.**

 **"Well, at least we'll have a nice and quiet family dinner," said Kathy. I could tell she was definitely happy about Larry's absence. Why couldn't she just let her grudge go and forgive Larry? That was one of the great questions of the universe. And probably was never going to be answered.**

 **Once everything was served, we started eating. "So how was it today?" I asked everyone.**

 **"Spiny, I have about $5,000 in from my allowance," said Robert.**

 **Let me make something clear. Five thousand dollars for us is like twenty or forty for the US and Western Europe. So, it's basically nothing. Still it's a lot. "Oh, is there something you want to buy?"**

 **"Yeah. A leather jacket."**

 **"A leather jacket? You want to buy a leather jacket?"**

 **"Yeah, a dark red leather jacket. What do you think?"**

 **Kathy said, "I think it'll go perfect with your dark blonde hair."**

 **I shrugged. "Well. Do you think it's a good investment? Will you use it often? Will you take care of it and keep it clean?"**

 **"Yes, yes, and, uh…maybe? No, just kidding. Yes, too."**

 **"All right. You can buy it."**

 **Then Kathy said, "Oh, and I told some foreign representatives about how you might consider donating some money towards finding a cure for blood cancer in children. They need your answer by tomorrow night."**

 **"Oh, sure. I'll check with Larry to see how much I have in my budget and I'll tell you in the morning."**

 **"All right."**

 **Then Greeny said, "Spiny?"**

 **"Yes?"**

 **"Where did I come from?"**

 **Everything and everyone froze instantly. I dropped my fork. "Um…what did you say, Greeny?"**

 **"I said where did I come from?"**

 **"Um, well, that's kind…uh, did you hear that Kathy?"**

 **"Um, yes I did."**

 **"Well, where did I come from, Spiny?" Greeny asked again.**

 **"Well, that's uh, kind of a long story and I don't think we have time now."**

 **"When will we have time?"**

 **I tried playing dumb you know. I mean, it's not that I don't know the answer, but…at the dinner table? While eating steak?**

 **"I don't know," I said. "When will we have time, girls?"**

 **"Well, Spiny, I think we have time now. After all, Greeny doesn't have to go to bed until eight thirty."**

 **Out of nowhere, and all of the sudden, guess who appeared? Mr. Houdini himself. Yep, Larry. "You see, son. When a man has strong feelings for a woman, they feel mutually attracted to each other. After they get married…"**

 **"LARRY!"**

 **"What?"**

 **"Get back upstairs!"**

 **"Yeah, but…"**

 **"Get. Back. Upstairs. Now!"**

 **"Eesh! Just trying to be helpful." As he walked away, you know what the idiot did? He grabbed my steak! And he gobbled it all in one gulp. "Hey, that's mine!"**

 **"Was yours. Past tense. See you." And he went back upstairs.**

 **I shook my head in frustration. That guy had no hope of ever being normal. I was starting to think that maybe so many bad things happened to me because I'm normal. Maybe I'm the only normal person and every else is wacko.**

 **Well, enough of that. After dinner, I went back up to my room to do some homework.**

 **I was in the middle of doing some homework for health class, when someone knocked at my door. "Who is it?"**

 **"I know!" said Larry. "It's someone outside the room knocking the door."**

 **"Very funny. Smart-aleck."**

 **"Thank you for calling me smart. Though I already knew that."**

 **I ignored him and opened the door. "Kathy? What is it?"**

 **"Um…" she held up her cell phone. "You, ah, have a call."**

 **"Who is it?"**

 **She handed it to me. "Just answer, please. If I tell you who it is, you won't accept it."**

 **I shrugged. "Well…"**

 **I took the phone and said, "Hello?"**

 **"Hi, cupcake!"**

 **GASP! I looked at Kathy with shocked. She nodded as if to say, Yeah, I know. But before I could do or say anything, she left. "Um…h-hello?" I said.**

 **"How are you, sweetie?" Oh, no. Not with the endearments again. If she kept calling me honey and sweetie and cupcake and cutie-pie, I was going to lose my dinner and my lunch from the past two weeks.**

 **Believe me, I am not exaggerating.**

 **"How can I help you?"**

 **"Oh, you know how."**

 **I was bothered by the suggestiveness in her voice. "What do you want?" I said, now getting more annoyed.**

 **"Oh, I was wondering if you cared to join my for dinner with my family tomorrow night?"**

 **My heart froze. But this time, it was because I was in terror. "Um…I, I, I,"**

 **"Good! I'll meet you tomorrow after school. Kisses! Mwah!"**

 **"Yeah, but I…hello? Hello? Hello!"**

 **I turned to Larry. He was watching me. "Did you hear that?"**

 **He nodded. "Boy, are you in a jam. What are you going to do?"**

 **"I don't know. Ha! Wait a minute! I had already made arrangements with Lilia for tomorrow. We were going to do an experiment tomorrow afternoon. Kylie doesn't bother me as much as when I'm with Lilia."**

 **Larry raised his eyebrow. "You think that'll work?"**

 **"It has to, if not, I'll…I don't know what. But I'll most likely do something dramatic that I'll regret later on."**

 **I went to sleep and tried to get all that off my mind. Next morning, I went to school with the girls. It was all a pretty normal day. But after school…whoa!**

 **I was walking down the main hallway on the way out. I was with Lilia, and we were discussing our experiment. And out from the shadows popped out, Ms. Jezebel. Yep, Kylie Anderson. Oh no!**

 **"Hiya, cupcake! Ready for our dinner arrangements?"**

 **This is where I should have slapped my hand against my forehead. Instead I said to myself, "Ay yay yay!"**

 **Lilia had a…well; it's extremely hard to describe the look on her face. It was a mixture of confusion, shock, sadness, anger, and betrayal.**

 **I started panicking and my heart leaped up to my throat. "I…I have no idea what you're talking about?"**

 **"Come on, Spiny. Don't you remember? Yesterday night I called you and asked you to come to my house for dinner. It was going to be just the two of us. I even suggested that we go in the pool so you could see my new swimsuit."**

 **I heard myself gasping. WHAT?! THAT. WAS. NOT. TRUE. AT. ALL!**

 **I looked at Lilia and…almost died. I wanted to earth to swallow me into a pit of magma and burn my memory along with it. She just the most horrible look on her face. She walked away and ran out the doors.**

 **"Wait! Lilia! Wait! That's not true! None of it is!" She didn't stop. I started running after her, but Kylie grabbed my arm. She had sharp nails by the way. And it hurt.**

 **"Come on, honey. We've gotten rid of her. Let's go have some fun."**

 **That did it. It was the last straw. "Let go of me! I HATE you, Kylie Anderson! I've always hated you! Leave me alone!" By now, I was yelling so hard that my throat has hurting and everyone was looking at me.**

 **Without regards to Kylie's reaction, I ran out the door. I went to the bike rack. Lilia's wasn't there. I got in TIV and drove back the way to her house. I went to her house but didn't see her. I jumped out and ran to her door. I rang the doorbell several times. Finally, her mom came out. "Why…Spiny. What are you doing here?"**

 **"Mrs. Woods. Is Lilia home yet?"**

 **"No, as a matter of fact. She hasn't come yet. Why?"**

 **"I need to tell her something. Do you know where she could be?"**

 **"Maybe she's at the park. She goes there often to think." The park! Why didn't I think of that?**

 **"Thank you!" I turned around ran back to TIV and drove to the park. When I got there, I didn't see anyone, just one or two people cleaning. I got off and started going around everywhere, shouting Lilia's name. I didn't see her anywhere.**

 **I must've been there for half an hour, without any success. I was tired from running and yelling. Out of breath, and my legs hurting, I got under the slide and tried to catch my breath. As I was sitting there, I heard whimpering. Whimpering? I hadn't seen any dogs while looking.**

 **Wait…that was no dog whimpering…that sounded like…human whimpering? Like a person crying? Could it be…I looked up through the walk-way that lead to the slide. "Lilia!"**

 **She looked down at me and jumped off and started walking away. I stood up and went after her. "Wait, Lilia! I can explain. Please listen to me!"**

 **She didn't answer or even look at me. She kept walking away. I cached up to her and grabbed her arm. She tried to free herself, but I held her firm. "Now, just listen to me!"**

 **"Let me go, Spiny. It's all over between us."**

 **"No, you're going to listen. Number one, I had already made arrangements to be with you. Number two, Kylie did call me, but she never mentioned anything about swimming. Number three, I never said yes to her. Number four, I didn't say no because she hung up on me before I could. Number five, I've always hated her just as much as you do. And number six, you are being very unfair to me because you know that I only like you."**

 **"You…you really like me?" she said in a voice so quiet, that even the breeze wouldn't have let me hear her.**

 **I nodded. "Yes."**

 **We stared into each other's eyes and silence grew heavy around us. I drew closer to her. I raised my hand to her eyebrow, where it hovered for a second, and ran a finger down the side of her face, along her delicate jawline, and gently brushed her neck with my fingertips.**

 **I felt her pulse accelerate and her lips parted gently. She stared at me with those solemn light brown eyes. I was sure that she could hear my heart pounding. Her eyes fluttered shut before I closed mine and…as stupid phone rang.**

 **It was hers. She reached into her phone and answered it. "Hello? Oh, hi, Mom. No, I'm fine. In the park. Yes, I'm with him. Okay. I'll be there in a little while. Bye. I love you too."**

 **She put her phone away and looked at me. "My mom wants me home."**

 **I nodded. "Okay. I'll walk you home."**

 **She smiled. "Thanks."**

 **We stood up and I took her hand in mine, and off we went. I completely forgot that I left TIV in the parking lot, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that I had cleared my name and was walking home hand in hand with the girl I loved.**

 **I didn't get my first kiss. Again. Would we ever be able to share that magic moment?**


	10. Chapter 10

Next day I tried looking for Kylie so we could talk more, but I couldn't find her. She must've been really busy with all her cheerleading practice. But of course, I saw my prince charming, Spiny. He was wearing a dark green button-down shirt and black jeans. It really made his blue eyes stand out.

He looked so adorable and irresistible. We didn't get to talk that much, mostly because we were in our classes and during lunch he wasn't there. So I sat with Kathy, Patty, Miranda, Meagan, and Darla.

Of course, their main interest was how I'd been going with Spiny. "So…" said Miranda.

I stared at her dumbfounded. "So…what?"

"So….how's it going with…you know…"

"With what?"

"Oh, you know what we mean!" Meagan said.

I shrugged. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Kathy started whistling "The Wedding March." I rolled my eyes at her and elbowed her. "Oooh. You got angry!"

I felt my cheeks coloring and I couldn't fight the smile that was coming on my face. They all started going, "Oooooh!"

"Stop it!" I yelled.

"So, when's he going to ask you?" said Miranda.

"Ask me what?"

"Ask you to be his girlfriend?"

I sighed. "I don't know. I mean, he's kinda shy around me, you know. It's like he wants to say something but, he won't dare to. But…I don't know. He's nice. And he's wonderful. And smart. And dreamy. He's cute and adorable." I was off in la-la land again.

I was like that almost the entire day. Then, after the last bell rang, I was at my locker getting my things. I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around and my heart stopped. "Hi, Lilia." It was him. My pulse accelerated. And when he smiled at me, I felt the blood rising to my cheeks.

"Um…h-hi." I stuttered and started trembling all over. "How are you?" he said. Completely in love with you. I wanted to say that so badly. But his angelic smile had stopped my speaking abilities.

"Oh, fi-fine."

He didn't stop smiling. My heart just started melting. "Listen, I was wondering, since we have to present our project tomorrow, maybe today we can to the actual experiment."

"Uh, yeah sure." But I wanted to leap up and down for joy. Another afternoon spent with Spiny! I couldn't wait.

He grabbed my hand and we started walking down the hallway.

Out of nowhere, Kylie appeared. "Oh, hi Spiny. Ready for our swimming date?"

My heart froze. Had I just heard what I thought I heard? I looked at Spiny. He had a blank expression on his face. Like he didn't know what to say. That's when I realized that everyone in the hallways was watching the three of us.

Before I knew what I was doing, I ran out of the school, pushing out everyone and everything that got in my way. Behind me, I heard Spiny's voice yelling for me to wait, but I couldn't stop running.

I got on my bike and started pedaling so hard I thought my legs would bust and my lungs would burst. I pedaled and pedaled and kept going, crossing streets, running stop signs and red lights, and almost killing myself about three times and even made a minor car accident in an empty lot.

Somehow, I ended up in the park. When I got there, I threw my bike aside, not caring if someone tripped over it or stole it. Then I walked up the stairs of the slide and just sat there. I wrapped my arms around my legs and just started crying.

I cried so hard that I lost my breathing for a while; not kidding. I had never been so humiliated and embarrassed in my whole life! How could he have done that? How could Spiny have been so dishonest! So cruel! So mean! So inconsiderate!

I could not believe it. The boy of my dreams. The one whom I thought would soon be for my own. And now…I guess Mom was right. Even the cutest boys can really break your heart into pieces. But Spiny? I was so hurt, like I'd never been hurt in my whole life. Life no longer had meaning for me. How would I ever face the others? Would things change between us?

I was sitting there for about ten minutes, when I heard footsteps. I looked up, but couldn't see much, because of all the tears. It looked more like looking from inside a car in a car wash. I literally couldn't see anything. It was a washout.

All I saw was a figure, panting and weak from running. I pretended not to see. I didn't want to be near anyone, but I didn't really feel like going anywhere either.

So I just there, while the person that I had seen stepped under the slide and sat on the ground. I tried to remain invisible by staying as quiet as possible.

It was very hard.

I had to use all the willpower that I had left in me to remain silent. I had to keep my suffering and sorrows to myself.

And I certainly wasn't about to tell my parents about this. I would die of embarrassment, and I would never be the same person myself again.

Not only that, but, somehow, all those years of having liked Spiny really affected me. I still felt a small tinge of hope deep in my heart, and I didn't want to ruin it.

But at the same time, I could feel that small tinge of hope getting smaller and smaller. I then realized that I would have to avoid Spiny completely and never see him, speak to him…or even think about him.

And I would have to learn to reject him if he came near.

All of the sudden, the wonderful memory of all those days spent with him became all but a distant memory, as if it were a distant happening of a past love, one who had long gone. I knew that I would have to get over him and forget him.

Which would not be an easy thing to do. I mean, we did live right in front of his house. And I would have to keep seeing him because we were neighbors and classmates. On top of that, we had the same friends. Exactly the same friends. And…

I let out a small whimper. I realized that I was leaving out the most important reason. That I still had feelings for him. The boy who at the tender age of seven had stolen my heart. My first love. The one whom I had dreamed for so many years would give me my first kiss.

My deep, tragic thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a strangely familiar voice. "Lilia!" the voice shouted. I looked from where the voice came from. It sounded like a boy. Like a teenage boy. The voice was coming from below me. I wiped my tears so that I could see better.

Peering through the holes and with the help of the afternoon delight, I saw a young boy. He had black hair…and blue eyes? My heart started palpitating. I jumped off the metal walkway and started running as fast as possible.

Behind me, his voice said, "Wait! I can explain everything."

I didn't turn to look at him. But he grabbed my arm, and then by the shoulders turned me around to face him. I started shuddering and my heart started skipping beats. I just couldn't help it. "Spiny, we have nothing to talk about!" I said half-heartedly.

Oh, he has such a beautiful face. And he's so cute and adorable! He can't help it. Now, wait. Keep your focus. Just breathe, girl.

He forced me to look at him, and he said, "No! You will listen to what I have to say. I never agreed to go with Kylie. And yes, she did call me, but I never got to say no because she hung up on me. And, I hate her just as much as you do. Besides, I only like you. I really mean it. I like you."

His blue eyes penetrated deep into me whole being. I was completely mesmerized by them. Not only were they overwhelmingly stunning, they were turning from a light aqua blue to a rich, deep blue.

He's being honest, I said to myself.

I tried to regain what he had just said. "You…you really like me?"

He nodded. "Yes."

He just said it. He said he likes me! And he really means it!

The silence began growing around us. We stared for seconds that felt like hours. He started nearing to me. My pulse accelerated. He ran his finger from my eyebrow down the side of my face, and to my neck. I shuddered as I felt his touch on my face. It felt like fire and left a burning, tingling sensation.

I felt my lips parting slightly and my eyes closed gently. I felt his hot breath and waited to feel his lips.

And then, ruined by the bell. Or the ring, I should say. I answered it. It was my mom, asking if I was going to be home soon. I said yes.

"My mom wants me home," I said to Spiny.

He smiled at me. "Oh. I'll walk you home, then."

I felt myself smiling too. And that same feeling started coming. First, the butterflies in my stomach. Then, my face turning red. And best of all, a warm feeling over my heart that deepened and grew.

"Thanks," I said.

He took my hand in his and we started walking home. As we were walking home, I heard myself say, "She's pushy, isn't she?"

He turned at me, dumbfounded. "What?"

"Kylie. She's very pushy."

He laughed. "Oh. Well, actually that's pretty mild way of putting it. I'd say pushy, nasty, mean…"

"Selfish, superficial, immature…"

"Oh, and megalomaniac."

Huh? I looked at him. "What is that? Did you make that up?"

He shook his head. "No, I didn't. Look it up in the dictionary later."

I laughed. "All right. I promise."

The rest of the walk home was silent. But the silence said what in a million words could never be reached. When we got to my house, he said, "Say, you think we have time to do the experiment?"

I smiled. "Sure. Why don't we do it now? Oh, and Spiny?"

"Yes?"

I looked down and tried to not blush. "I just want to say that…"

"What?"

"That…you're the nicest, cutest, and most charming, wonderful boy I've ever known." I dared to look up at his face. He wasn't blushing. He was smiling and looking directly into my eyes. "Thanks."

We went in my house and got to work. It took us about two or three and half hours, but by the end, we had managed—you'll never believe it—we built a fuel cell generator. Well, he built it. He ran back between the Palace and my house about a dozen times, and called Larry about half as much times to bring parts.

When we had finished, we admired our results. "Well, what do you think?" Spiny said.

"Looks great. You're very smart, you know?" I said.

He blushed and looked down. "Oh, well…" he just shrugged timidly. He was simply irresistible. I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled and put his hand over mine, which sent electricity all over me. Then he put his arm around my shoulder and brought me closer to him. I leaned my head on his shoulder, and smelled his fruit-scented shampoo.

I put my arms around him. We were like that for a while, in each other's embrace.

Afterwards, we tried it a few times, and finally we made enough electricity to light up an iPad. We admired the results, and noted down all our observations. Then we came up with a conclusion and a thesis statement.

We took some pictures of the generator, and also downloaded some pictures of older versions that dated back to the first electric generator made in Amarkia. That was back in the year 145,185 BCE.

During Spiny's great or great-great grandfather's time.

Then we got some cardboard paper and pasted our whole experiment on it, with all the steps and pictures and everything. We decorated the edges and glued the pictures on it.

By the time it was finished, Spiny stood there admiring it. "Well…I'd say that is a job very well one."

I agreed. Not to brag or anything, but it was just about perfect. "Think we'll get an A+ on it?" I asked him.

"We should. You helped, didn't you?"

I blushed. "Oh, you know what I mean."

"But, don't worry. The grade we'll get is the one we'll deserve. And we did work pretty hard at this."

"Yeah, we did." I looked at the clock on the wall. "Wow! Look what time it is! It's past 9:15!"

He looked at his gold watch and his eyes popped open. "Hey, you're right! I have to go. Listen, I'll take the generator since it's heavier, and I don't want you to hurt yourself. It weighs at least 35 pounds."

I nodded. He's so considerate! "And you can take the cardboard here that we used to write our experiment. The presentation's tomorrow, so we have to be ready, all right?"

"Okay," I said.

"All right." He sighed. "Well, I have to be going. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

I nodded and smiled. "Okay." He carried the generator, and I walked him out the door. Just before he left, he leaned over pecked me on the cheek. "See ya." Then he walked back across the street to the Palace, carrying the generator.

As I saw him walking away, I couldn't help smile.

And I had no idea that the next two days would permanently change both of our lives forever.


	11. Chapter 11

**While we were walking home, we talked. Not to be mean, but we said some pretty nasty things about Kylie. That she was pushy, mean, nasty, selfish, superficial, and a megalomaniac. Even she thought I'd made that word up. I would have assumed that she knew what it meant.**

 **But we had a pretty good laugh over it.**

 **As we were walking holding hands and turned toward the street where we lived, I suddenly remembered that tomorrow was when our presentation was due. We still had a lot of work to do. "You think we can finish the project today?"**

 **"Oh, sure. Oh, and Spiny?"**

 **"Yeah?"**

 **"I want to tell you that…you're the nicest, cutest, most charming and wonderful boy I've ever meet."**

 **I stared at her directly in the eyes. I couldn't believe that she had just said that! My heart started leaping with joy and happiness!**

 **All I could say was, "Thanks." I really meant what I said.**

 **Anyways…afterwards, we got to her house and got to work. We wanted to build a generator to show how advanced machinery in Amarkia had developed since it was first invented more than 140,000 years ago.**

 **Let be tell you…it was very hard work.**

 **I must've run back between Lilia's house and the Palace about a thousand times. I tell you, I started to feel like a ping-pong ball. Just back and forth and back and forth…and forth and back and forth and back. You get the idea, right?**

 **Well, it took us till nine to finish. I was so exhausted. My arms and legs were numb and I had pins and needles all over my hands. I don't believe I had done so much hard work in a short time. Even just three hours was too little for me.**

 **Afterwards, we wrote our written part of our presentation on a piece of white cardboard paper with all the steps and pictures and everything. When we finally finished cutting and pasting and writing, we stood back and admired our good work.**

 **"Well, not to be arrogant or anything, but I guess that is a job well done," I said.**

 **She nodded. "I'd say so. Do you think we'll get an A+ on it?"**

 **That'd be great. I mean, what kid wouldn't like to get the highest grade possible? Not to mention all the extra credit points I'd been getting. But I knew that Lilia was also very smart. "We should get the best grade there is. You helped, didn't you?"**

 **"Oh, come on, you know what I meant."**

 **"But don't worry. The grade we'll get is the one we deserve." That was something that I always told myself when working on big projects and tests. "Besides, we did work pretty hard."**

 **"Yes, we did. Hey, look what time it is! It's 9:15 already!"**

 **I looked at my watch. "Wow! It is late! I have to go. Listen, the presentation is tomorrow, and since the generator is heavier and I don't want you to hurt yourself. It weighs at least 35 pounds. You can take the cardboard with our presentation on it."**

 **She nodded. "Okay."**

 **So without further ado, I picked up the—ugh!—super heavy, almost unbearable, 100-ton science project of ours. Okay, not 100 tons, but it had a ton of heavy metal parts in it. And it was bulky, too.**

 **But that's the price you pay for having technological and scientific advancement, right?**

 **Just kidding. The only way to get a good grade is by working hard.**

 **Anyways, on the way out, I gave Lilia a quick kiss and trudged over back home. I couldn't help feeling butterflies in stomach. By the time I got back the Palace, I was really weak and tired from carrying that heavy thing. And, for the first time in a quite a while, I used the elevator.**

 **Imagine my surprise that while I was going up, Larry popped out of nowhere. "Hey!"**

 **"Ahh! Where did you come from?"**

 **"From a place to no living thing has ever come alive!"**

 **"Where, in the same bathroom as Dimetroodon after he ate beans and eggs?"**

 **"Ye-no! I was at a very special place…where the four dimensions of space and time all intersect with the past, present, and future."**

 **"Oh. You've been traveling in between dimensions?" A dimension is another word for parallel universes. We do that too. "We oughta travel to the dimension where we're still living in dinosaur times."**

 **"Or, to the one where Amarkia is a planet on the other side of the universe."**

 **I nodded. "Yeah. Guess we've had so many things happening that we haven't really had time to do the things we used to do."**

 **He nodded. "Yeah, I can especially say that about you, huh Mr. Lover?"**

 **I sighed. "Oh, come on. Don't start that all over again."**

 **He smiled evilly. "Ah…"**

 **"Well…like I said before. You don't really understand about that stuff. So…I don't know. I'll just have to see what happens. Besides, a guy like me can't be thinking about girls all the time. I mean, I have a lot of responsibilities. I can't let myself be distracted."**

 **The elevator finally stopped and the doors opened. "Yeah, I guess so." He nodded.**

 **I carried, trudging that thing down the hallways until I reached my room. I finally set it on my desk beside my laptop. Phew! I'd been sweating like I do when I work out at the gym. We have our own gym here at the Palace.**

 **I was so tired…I didn't even have the strength to get my usual chocolate milk that I always drink before brushing my teeth and going to bed. So I just brushed my teeth, washed my face with acne soap, and got under the covers.**

 **Little did I know that…**

 **Well, you'll see.**

 **Next morning was April 23. That day and the next would stay with me for the rest of my life.**

 **I woke up at 6:30 and got ready for school. I went down to get my breakfast. And I didn't have to struggle too much with the generator, because know I had Larry helping me with it. And no, it wasn't cruel of me, because he was using the Super-Strength Power to carry it. But, since we still want to keep it a secret from everyone else, he still had to pretend that he was struggling with it.**

 **He even took the stairs instead of the elevator!**

 **I got down to the Breakfast Dining Room and the whole family was already there. Robert and Greeny were already finishing and picking up their plates. The girls were still eating. They were eating cereal. There was a plate of scrambled eggs at my seat. I said good morning to everyone and sat down.**

 **Larry ate his bacon and French toast.**

 **"The boys already finished breakfast?" I asked.**

 **"Yep," said Kathy.**

 **"What did they have?"**

 **"Waffles and bacon."**

 **I froze. I looked down at my plate. Then I stared at her. "How come they get all that fancy stuff and all I ever get is scrambled eggs?"**

 **Patty poured coffee into her cup. "Well, Spiny that's what you always ask for early in the morning when we knock on your door to see what you want."**

 **"Well, yeah, but that's because I've got scrambled eggs memorized; I'm still half-asleep. I'm not really saying it. I'm just mumbling it."**

 **"Oh."**

 **"Next time I mumble scrambled eggs, give me waffles and bacon. And when I mumble waffles and bacon…"**

 **"We make you scrambled eggs?" Patty asked.**

 **"Yeah, that's right. And when I mumble French toast…we'll, I'll give you a list of each mumble and its translation."**

 **"All right," Kathy said, nodding.**

 **I finished and brushed my teeth, and grabbed my backpack while Larry carried the generator.**

 **When Patty, Kathy, Larry, and I arrived at the school, Lilia was waiting at the entrance. She waved and smiled at me. "Hi."**

 **"Hi," I said, feeling my heart racing again.**

 **"Here comes the girl-friend, all dressed in green," Larry started singing. I gave him a killer look and that made him shut up. He just smiled guiltily.**

 **We both entered and went to our classes. Science was the last class of the day. So you can imagine all the suspense and nervousness I was feeling. Of course, we had done the work properly, according to the scientific method, we'd cited our sources, a thesis statement and everything.**

 **But, let's face it. Speaking in public in front of an audience, no matter how small, is always a nerve-wracking experience.**

 **The whole day, I must've gone over the oral part of our project about a thousand times. I was so worried about it that in Algebra instead of multiplying polynomials, I ended up writing my speech on the Algebra paper.**

 **And in Grammar/Literature/Composition class, instead of writing the final draft of a narrative essay, I gave an explanation of how to build a fuel-cell generator. Fortunately for me, Larry was good enough of a friend and with his Telekinesis power. With that superpower, you can manipulate any object.**

 **Finally, came Science class. All the other pairs went before us. Well, almost all of them. Finally our turn came. We went up to the front and gave the whole detailed explanation and showed our cardboard presentation. And I managed to make the generator run and it came out pretty good. Before long, all my nerves and jitters had gone away.**

 **As a matter of fact, I felt like going on for a little while more, but couldn't for obvious purposes.**

 **Mr. Mitochondria was very impressed and it definitely looked like an A+. I wouldn't be surprised if we got a ton of extra credit.**

 **Anyways, we sat down after our turn finished. I was in the middle row, sitting in the second seat from the back to the front. And Lilia was in the third row, in the second seat from the front to the back.**

 **Next up, the teacher called up Larry and Kylie. Yeah, yeah, I know! They ended up being paired together. I felt really sorry for Kylie. Yes, for Kylie. And for Larry.**

 **They had also researched into modern technology. Kind of interesting, as a matter of fact. They'd brought one of those hidden microphones that spies and detectives use to spy conversations on enemies.**

 **Kylie was doing the talking while Larry was demonstrating, but I could tell his heart wasn't in it.**

 **Anyways, Kylie then said, "I could give you a demonstration of how it works."**

 **Mr. Mitochondria said, "Very good then. Please do."**

 **Larry played the recording that they had and the audio started playing. Hmm. I recognized that voice. Wait a minute…was that…that was Lilia's voice! And unless I was terribly mistaken or dreaming or something, she was talking about me!**

 **This is what the audio played. "Well…I guess you could call it fondness. Or affection. Or just attraction. But…well, yeah, I like Spiny very much. He makes me feel all jittery and I love it when he smiles at me. I've always thought he has a beautiful face and pretty eyes. And he's nice and smart and good-hearted. I would give anything for him to ask me to be his girlfriend. I'd like to think that one day I'll marry him."**

 **While the audio played, I felt my heart palpitating and I started getting dizzy. My stomach got sour and my breathing stopped. I stared sweating in torrents and my entire body was shaking with fear and adrenaline. I felt my face redden deeply.**

 **I heard giggling and whispering and started seeing pointing fingers.**

 **Kathy, Patty, Dimetroodon, and Darla looked shocked, as if they wanted to help me but could only stand by and watch. I looked up ahead. Kylie had such a face of being self-satisfied. Like a dictator would feel watching his army execute the people he most hates and he doesn't show a tinge of feeling. I looked at Larry. His face had turned pale, like he was about to throw up.**

 **He looked sick. He looked terrified. I mean, he actually looked scared! His eyes had horror written in them and his expression said, What have I done! The teacher got really mad and forced Kylie to turn it off. He even slapped her hand when she continued playing the audio.**

 **I dared to look at Lilia's face. Her face had gone even paler than Larry's. She definitely looked like she was about to lose her lunch. I could see her shaking all the way from five seats back.**

 **An extremely heavy and ominous silence hung over the entire classroom. It was so quiet, you could have heard a hair drop on the floor. All I could hear was my heart beating. Pounding. It was like no one knew that to say or do next. It was like the silence that comes right before the tornado crashes through your building.**

 **And the tension seemed to be building.**

 **Finally, something happened. Lilia stood up and rushed out the door, slamming it so hard that the wall trembled. On the way out, I caught a brief glimpse at her face. She had tears running down her face.**

 **We all stared at the door. Then, everyone stared at me, as if asking what I was going to do now. I looked down at my desk. And, I too, felt my eyes getting foggy. I sniffled. I was SO humiliated!**

 **How could Kylie have done something as cruel as this?! She had gone way too far. My patience had now ended. This was really the last straw. I could feel my anger boiling and building up inside of me like a volcano. I could feel it rise from within me, up through my chest, my neck and up to my head.**

 **I stood up and stomped up to the front. I stood in front of Kylie. She looked utterly confused. What happened next was blurry.**

 **I didn't have any control of what happened to me. But I did. I slapped Kylie in front of everyone. With all the strength that I had in me. I slapped her so hard that she yelped and she fell to the ground. And in possibly my loudest voice, I said, "I HATE YOU!"**

 **That's when I realized what I had one. The teacher said in a quiet voice, "Spiny!"**

 **I looked up at him, then down at Kylie. I looked at Larry, then at the class. I ran out the door, pushing the 75-year-old librarian out of the way. I ran out the door. I ran down the street. I ran through intersections and red lights and parking lots and jumped over fences and dogs. I ran and ran and ran and just kept running until I finally got to the Palace.**

 **I think I broke the record for the time that I made. And I didn't care in the least bit that I had left my bike and all my things at school. I slammed in through the Palace doors. Robert was nearby in the living room. He called me but I ignored him. I kept running up the stairs until my legs almost busted and finally collapsed on my bed.**

 **It took me about ten minutes to catch my breath. No kidding. After I recovered my oxygen, my legs started to ache. And I mean to really ache! I guess the adrenaline was now leaving. It felt awful. I was hurting all over. My head hurt. My stomach hurt. I had nausea. My legs and arms were hurting, I was sweating very hard, and I was so sorry that I had lunch.**

 **About fifteen minutes later, I heard the girls and Larry walk in my room. I turned to look away. I couldn't bear to look at anyone anymore. "Spiny?" said Patty in a very soft, quiet voice.**

 **"Leave me alone," I grumbled.**

 **"Spiny, don't you wanna talk about it?" Larry asked. I turned to him and threw my alarm clock at him. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"**

 **Then I buried my head in my pillow and let the tears flow. I was sobbing. Not crying. Sobbing. I heard the door close and I thought that they had left. But then, I felt Kathy's hand on my shoulder. I wanted to knock her hand away, but I couldn't . I just didn't have the energy to do it. She started caressing my head.**

 **"Oh, Spiny. I…I just don't know what to say. I'm…I'm very shocked at what Kylie did. You didn't deserve that. Nobody deserves to be treated like that. And especially you. You're the sweetest guy I know. And I'm kinda glad Kylie got what she had coming."**

 **I finally stopped crying and sat up. I wiped the tears from my face and sniffled. "What am I going to do, now, sis?"**

 **"Well…ask Lilia to be your girlfriend."**

 **"Kathy!"**

 **"No, I'm serious. It's the only thing you can do, now!"**

 **"Are you crazy? How am I going to face her now?" I looked down at my palm and thought What Lilia must think of me! "I feel just awful. I don't deserve a girl like her. She'll never speak to me now. She must hate me. She was even more embarrassed than I am."**

 **"Now, Spiny, don't go blaming yourself. It's not your fault. And it's not Lilia's fault, either. It's Kylie's fault. And Lilia loves you. I know she does. I know her very well. She loves you Spiny. And she wants you to be your boyfriend more than anything else than in the world."**

 **Well, that made me feel a little better. "But…now everyone's going to make fun of us. And…I'm afraid that if I can't take it…I'll…I'll become so worried that I'll…treat Lilia like I did when we were kids."**

 **She put her hand on my shoulder. "If you truly love her, you'll do everything within your power to see that that won't happen."**

 **"Kathy…I really appreciate it. But I have to think for myself what I'll do. For now…please…I-I…I have to be alone."**

 **She nodded and sighed. "Okay." She hugged me once more and left.**

 **I lied in bed all afternoon. I was so upset that I didn't eat dinner. I fell asleep at about 7:45. I guess I was so tired from all that running and crying. Believe me, those things really do tire you out.**

 **I woke up at around four in the morning. I was still terribly upset at what had happened. But I had to forget the problem and find a solution. I started pacing up and down my room in the dark, letting the ideas flow by. By 4:45 am, I had come up with a plan of attack, and with a tranquil yet alert mind, went back to sleep.**

 **I woke extra early. I was showered and dressed by 6 in the morning. I tip-toed out of the room, down the hallways and the stairs, grabbing an apple on the way out. I didn't go in TIV because the engine might have woken my family up. So instead I went on the bike.**

 **I quickly pedaled down the streets which were still empty. Here in Amarkia, there are no nightly jobs. And all lights and electricity is turned off after eleven pm. The only people still up are the Border Guards, the military, the police, firefighters and the hospitals.**

 **I got to the school at about 6:15. They hadn't opened yet and the teachers were barely going in. I walked up to the front entrance and knocked on the doors. The vice-principal came. She looked shocked to see me. She opened the door and stepped out. "Why…Your Majesty! What are you doing here?"**

 **"Please, ma'am. Please let me in. I have to do something very important."**

 **She shook her head. "I'm sorry. We can't let you in. School policy."**

 **"Please, ma'am. It's very important. It'll only take 30 seconds. I promise."**

 **She scratched the back of her head. "Well…"**

 **"Please?" Now I was begging.**

 **She sighed. "All right. But I'll only give you one minute."**

 **"Oh, thank you!" She opened the door and I ran inside to do what I had to do. But I won't tell you. You have to find out for yourself. So keep reading. Anyways, after I did what I had to do, I ran back outside.**

 **I hadn't eaten, so I went to Arnold's to order pancakes and bacon and chocolate milk. After I ate I went back to school and waited outside until class started.**

 **It was pure agony, waiting so long. I sat on the concrete beside the entrance stairs, while I waited. First, the sixth graders came in. Half an hour later, the seventh graders. And finally after an hour of waiting, the other 8th graders started entering.**

 **I stood up but didn't move from my position from beside the stairs. I was reading. I kept my nose in the book, so to speak. Nobody was saying hi to me, not even my friends. You could still sense the tension in the air.**

 **Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her. She was walking with Kathy, Patty, and Darla. None of them looked at me. I saw them come up to the entrance and walk up the stairs. Then, I sensed someone stopping. I dared to look behind me. Lilia had stopped just above me and was looking at me.**

 **She had a mournful look. As if she had been crying too. She didn't have any emotion in her face. She blinked and stepped inside the school. I could only sigh. I just hoped that my plan would work.**

 **If not…I'd go to my grave early.**

 **Finally, the first warning bell rang, and I closed my book and went inside to my first class, which was Algebra. When I went inside, I saw a bunch of kids, all huddled looking at the whiteboard. Only Lilia and Kathy were sitting. They weren't looking at the whiteboard.**

 **I leaned over to see what was so interesting.**

 **When I saw what they were looking at, my heart stopped. Someone had taken a black marker and written the words Spiny loves Lilia inside a heart with an arrow going through it. I could only hear whispering and snickering. I quickly sat down.**

 **But they'd already seen me. They kept snickering and mocking me, making kissing sounds.**

 **Then the teacher, Mrs. Mills came in, carrying several books. Everyone immediately ran to their seats. I felt sorry for Lilia because I was assigned to the seat right behind her. She'd been looking down the whole time. I could still hear her quietly crying.**

 **It pained me so much to see her suffering. I could feel my throat closing up. But I couldn't cry now. I had to be strong for what happened next.**

 **Mrs. Mills saw the heart with our names on the whiteboard and boy; you should've seen the look on her face! "Who wrote that?" she yelled, angry now.**

 **Silence. Eerie, alien-like silence. Nobody dared to even breathe. She was staring at all of us. "Whoever wrote that stand up right now and apologize to Spiny and Lilia!" More silence.**

 **Then she gave Kylie a look of steel. "Kylie!"**

 **"I didn't do it!" she said quickly.**

 **"I hope not." Then she looked at all of us. "Well…if no one answers I will send the whole class in detention for the rest of the school year!"**

 **You could hear gasping and groaning.**

 **The time had come. My heart started palpitating again. I could feel my legs getting weak as I stood up. I took a deep breath. "Mrs. Mills."**

 **"Yes, Spiny?"**

 **Here we go. "I'm the one who wrote that. And I'm not sorry because it's true. I love Lilia." I felt like dying. Everyone looked astonished. I sat back down, looking down at my lap.**

 **Mrs. Mills smiled slightly and said, "Well…all right." Then she went to her desk and started class.**

 **Still looking down, I opened my Algebra book. Then, a hand came on top of mine. I looked up. It was Lilia. She had turned around and was smiling at me, tears still on her face. She gripped my hand, looking genuinely happy. Her eyes were shining and she whispered, "Thank you."**

 **I smiled back.**

 **But I still hadn't finished. That had only been Phase 1. Right after class, I ran out the room, quickly grabbing a piece of paper and folding it halfway. On it, I wrote _Meet me in front of the Palace after school. I want to talk to you. XOXO, Spiny_. Then, after the last class ended, I taped it to Lilia's locker and ran out the door of the school and waited for her.**

 **I waited about forty minutes or so. I paced back and forth. I sat on the sidewalk, waiting, while the occasional car zoomed by. Birds chirped, Pteranodons flew overhead, helicopters and planes went past, and dinosaurs and people walked by.**

 **Finally, I saw the beautiful brown-haired girl coming down the street, carrying her books. I stood up and my heart started fluttering. We both smiled. "Hi," she said softly.**

 **"Hi."**

 **She looked down. "Um…I got your note," she said, holding it up.**

 **"I'm glad." I took another deep breath. "Um, would you walk to somewhere special with me?"**

 **Her eyes light up and she smiled. "Yes." She held my hand and we started walking down the street. We turned through some bushes through a secret pass that only I knew of. It led to the restricted area behind the Palace which was only for the Royal Family. We walked about for twenty minutes, until we finally reached it.**

 **"Well, here we are."**

 **Lilia looked around. "Spiny! Is this that special place you told me about at the carnival?"**

 **I nodded. "Yes. And I wanted you to see it." It really was a beautiful place. Just like I'd described it to her. The lake in front of us was crystalline blue. The old tree towered above us, with its pink flowers in full bloom. The soft grass, the way the sunlight peered through the mountains into this valley…it was paradisiacal.**

 **We stood under the tree, leaning on it, and facing each other. "Lilia."**

 **"Yes?"**

 **"I want to say that I'm sorry that…I'm so sorry for all the humiliation that you've been going through. You're a wonderful girl. You're smart, sensitive, friendly, you're a lot of fun, you've always treated me well, you're beautiful, and…" Oh, boy. I really needed to stay strong for what I would say next.**

 **"And?" she asked anxiously.**

 **"I love you." There, I said it! My stomach got so jittery I could have made a vibrator nervous. Lilia looked at me with an expression that I couldn't read. Then, she said, "I love you, too." I felt a sense of warmth flowing through my entire body. I realized that it was happiness.**

 **"Really?"**

 **She nodded. "Since we were seven."**

 **I laughed at that. Then, I said, "Will you be my girlfriend?"**

 **She came closer to me until our faces were only inches apart. Then, in a voice so quiet that if the wind had been blowing I wouldn't have heard her, she said, "Yes."**

 **I gasped. My heart was pounding now, but for joy. "Really? You mean it?"**

 **She smiled and nodded ever so slightly. Then, I took her hand in mine and with the other hand I gently pushed the hair behind her air. I closed my eyes and leaned forward. Then…**

 **I felt a warm sensation on my lips. She was kissing me back! I was kissing her! It was the most wonderful feeling I've ever had. It spread throughout all of me. Her lips were sweeter than any honey or sugar or candy I'd ever tasted. And they were so soft, too. A type of soft and sweet that aren't found anywhere else in the universe.**

 **It's completely indescribable. Incomprehensible. Inexplicable. Beyond your reasoning. It's simply impossible to describe.**

 **My first kiss. Our first kiss.**

 **It lasted about seven seconds. Then, I opened my eyes at the same time as she did and we pulled back. Both of our faces were red, but we were smiling. I caressed her face with my hand.**

 **She started crying. I immediately started cursing myself. "Are you okay?" I asked concerned.**

 **She kept smiling. "I'm fine. It's just that…I'm happy. I never thought this would happen. You were my first love. And, I've always wanted you to kiss me like that."**

 **I smiled and said, "I think we'll be having more of those. And often." Then I leaned and kissed her lips again.**

 **I could tell she loved it. She giggled. Then I gently took her into my embrace. She put her arms around my waist and I rested my cheek on her head, and ran my hand through her hair.**

 **Then I looked at her, smiling. I kissed her cheek and she grinned. "Come on," I said. "I have to get you home."**

 **We walked back the way we'd come, so that my family wouldn't see us. It'd been very awkward to go through the back door.**

 **The whole way, we had our arms around each other. When we got to her front door, "Lilia?"**

 **"Yes?"**

 **"You want to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night?"**

 **"I'd love to," she said, smiling. She leaned over and kissed my cheek. "I'll be ready at eight, okay?"**

 **I nodded and smiled. "Okay." I kissed her lips once more, and her face reddened again. "I'll see you later, then?"**

 **She nodded. She kissed my cheek then stepped into her house. I stared at her door for quite a while. I couldn't help but smile. "She's finally mine," I said out loud to myself.**


	12. Chapter 12

Next morning, I got up ready and dressed for school, as I always do. After breakfast and all that, I arrived at school. It was still very early when I got there, so there were few students. And it was a beautiful day, so I decided to wait outside.

A little while later, Spiny, Kathy, Patty, and Larry arrived. Larry was carrying the generator. I guess Spiny got tired from carrying that ridiculously heavy thing everywhere. I don't blame him. I mean, it even looked heavy.

"Hi," I said to him, excited to see him.

"Hi." He smiled and my heart started melting. His smile is so divine. Larry started teasing us, but Spiny quickly made him shut up by giving him one of those looks.

Anyways, we stepped inside the school. Science was the last class of the day, so I definitely had plenty of time to worry and get nervous. I'm kind of awkward when it comes to speaking in front of an audience, no matter how small.

But I was sure that Spiny would do just fine. I mean, after, as a King, he has to do many press conferences and speeches directed at the whole country and even other countries and world leaders. So I told myself not to worry.

How wrong I was.

Finally, Science class came and it was time for everyone to present their final projects. I was very nervous, but Spiny did a magnificent job at presenting and explaining the whole thing. I couldn't possibly have said it like he did.

Well, the teacher was very impressed with us. "Excellent work, the two of you," he said. "You made an outstanding presentation. And Spiny, I'm very impressed with the generator that you made. It's really exceptional. This will definitely get an A+." Yes! I felt good about myself.

Then, the teacher asked us to sit back down. I couldn't wait to tell Mom and Dad what a great day I'd had.

Then, Mr. Mitochondria said, "Very well. All right, next group is Larry and Kylie Anderson." He didn't say Larry's last name because, well…he doesn't have a last name. He's just Larry.

"What are you presenting?"

Larry opened his mouth to talk, but Kylie started talking. She went on to explain about microphones and modern audio systems and all that. She probably memorized a ton of scientific terms that she didn't know even existed.

Then, she said that she wanted to demonstrate how sound is recorded into waves then turned back into sound through microphone. So, she played a recording. Wait. Was that…that was my voice! It was the day that she went over to my house and made me talk about Spiny! No wonder she was messing with her phone and didn't say anything! She'd been recording me the whole time!

Of course, the whole class got to hear it.

I could feel my heart trying to burst. I could feel the tears swelling behind my eyes. I couldn't believe it! Why was Kylie so mean!?

I could hear snickering and whispering. But I didn't dare look behind me. I especially didn't want to look at Spiny's face. The teacher quickly turned off the device, but Kylie turned back on, which got her a slap on the hand.

Before I knew what I was doing, I stood up and ran out the door of the classroom. I sped down the hallways, down the stairs, and out the building. I got on my bike and pedaled as hard as I could. I must've broken a record or something, because before I knew it, I was home.

I threw my bike aside and slammed the door going in. Mom called me, but I ignored her. I ran up to my room, threw myself on the bed and started crying. I heard the door open and felt when Mom sat down the bed. My back was turned away from her. "Lilia? What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded and sniffled.

"Well…I'll be down at the kitchen. Okay?" She stood up and turned to leave.

"Mom!" I turned around. She stopped and looked back at me. "Yes?"

"I do need to talk."

She nodded. "I know." I sat up on my bed and she sat next to me. "What happened?"

I wiped my eyes, but the tears kept coming. "Remember that day that I told you that Kylie had come over?"

"Yes?"

"She was supposed to do a project about audio, but she played a recording of me talking about how I feel for Spiny. That day she made me talk about that, and recorded it. And she played it in front of the whole class!" I buried my head in my hands and started sobbing. "Everyone was laughing. I couldn't even dare to look at Spiny. I couldn't face him. I just ran out of the classroom and out the school."

I sobbed again, as Mom put my head on her shoulder. "Good heavens! What was that girl thinking?"

"I feel so stupid, Mom."

"It's not your fault, Lilia. And it's not Spiny's fault, either."

I shook my head. "What am I going to do now?"

"Tell Spiny how you feel about him."

I looked at her shocked. "I can't Mom! I'll never be able to face him now! Can you imagine what he must think of me?"

"I know what he thinks of you. He loves you. And I'm sure that he would very much like to hear you say the same."

I looked down at my hands and sniffled. "I don't know, Mom. I…I really appreciate your concern for me, but…I just…I want to be alone so I can think." She nodded and rubbed my shoulder.

I was so upset that I didn't even eat dinner. I slept from about 7:20 onwards. I guess all that running and crying wore me out.

I woke up a little bit late next day. I guess I was scared of going to school. Not only was I going to be the laughingstock at school for all time, now, I was never going to be able to face the boy of my dreams.

After getting dressed and ready, I biked to school. I was joined by the girls. It gave me a little bit of reassurance. But I could still hear whispering and saw some fingers pointing. At the entrance, standing beside the entrance stairs…there he was. In all his beauty. As always, my heart beat just a little bit faster. He was reading something and didn't seem to notice all those people talking about him.

I slowly stepped up the stairs. I stopped for a moment and looked down at him. He must've sensed that I was there, because he looked up at me. He didn't smile or anything. He just looked at me. I couldn't help but be entranced by his dazzling blue eyes.

Then the final bell rings and I step inside to my first class.

When I went into the classroom with Kathy, we saw a bunch of kids all standing over at the whiteboard, looking at something. I leaned to see what they were watching. When I saw what it was, I wanted the earth to swallow me alive. Someone had taken a black marker and drawn the words Spiny loves Lilia inside a heart. With an arrow going through it.

I quickly sat down and pretended that I hadn't seen anything.

Then, a little while later I saw Spiny out of the corner of my eye. He also saw it and quickly sat down, not looking at me for one second. I felt like crying again, but if I did, it would only give the others more reason to make fun of us.

Our teacher, Mrs. Mills came in and just like that, everyone ran to their seats. She also saw what was on the whiteboard and began asking who wrote it. When nobody confessed, her voice got more severe and she threatened to punish the entire class. The silence grew and grew as if something was about to happen.

Silence filled the entire classroom.

Then, Spiny stood up. "Mrs. Mills?"

"Yes, Spiny?"

"I'm the one who wrote that, and I'm not sorry because it's true that I love Lilia."

My mouth dropped open and my heart stopped. I felt my breathing come to a complete halt. Did….did he…did he just say in front of everyone…the he loves me?! Everyone was shocked. Even Mrs. Mills. "Oh, well…" she started smiling. Then she continued with the class. I turned around to look at Spiny. He was sitting right behind me.

He was looking down and reached out to open his book. I felt my heart getting warm and I reached out to grab his hands. He looked up at me. I still had tears in my face, but I was smiling at him like I had never done ever before to anyone else.

He blinked and smiled back at me.

He just said that he loves me. I couldn't believe it! I felt like doing somersaults.

After class ended, I tried to talk to him, but he ran out super-quick. I tried to reach him all day but couldn't find him anywhere. I began to think that he was trying to hide from me. But then when the day ended, I came to my locker and found a note taped to it.

 _Meet me in front of the Palace after school. I want to talk to you. XOXO, Spiny._ Did he really mean that as in…hugs and KISSES? I giggled. I just had to. Every minute that passed I loved him more and more.

I grabbed my things and quickly went to where he was waiting for me.

Sure enough, he was there, sitting on the sidewalk, looking off into the distance.

"Hi," I said to him.

He smiled and said, "Hi."

His beautiful face entranced me. I looked down at my feet. "Um…I got your note."

"I'm glad. You want to walk somewhere with me?"

I nodded. "Of course I do."

I grabbed his hand and he led me down the street. We turned through some bushes and he went through a path that I'd never seen or heard of before. I didn't recognize anything. I wanted to ask him where we were going, but I didn't want him to think that I mistrusted or doubted him.

Finally, he stopped. I looked around us. We were standing under a tree with its beautiful pink flowers in full bloom. The grass looked so green and there was a crystal blue lake in front of us. On the horizon were tall snow-covered mountains. The sunlight poured through the peaks in such a way that made it feel like a safe, secluded place to seek refuge from life.

"Is this the place you told me about?" I asked him.

He nodded. "Yeah." He got quiet for a while and leaned his shoulder against the tree. "Lilia?"

"Yes?"

"I want…I want to say that I'm sorry for everything I've made you go through, and…you're smart, you're pretty and lots of fun to be with and…" Oh, please finish! The suspense is killing me!

"And?"

"And…I love you." My heart pounded like it had never done before and I felt joy and happiness come all over me. He said it! To me! He loves me! I had something to say, too. "I love you, too."

His face brightened and a smile spread across his face. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yeah, ever since we were little."

"Will you be my girlfriend?" he said.

Almost on instinct, I got closer to him, my heart still hammering. I looked deep into his eyes and saw love, honesty, and loyalty. That was all I needed to know. "Yes," I whispered.

"Really? You mean it?"

I nodded.

Then…the most wonderful thing happened.

He took my hand ever so gently and pushed the hair out of my face. The touch of his hand on my face made me shudder, but I didn't stop him. I wanted it to be like this. Then, he closed his eyes and leaned forward. Almost without realizing it, I started leaning in too and my eyes fluttered shut.

Then, it happened. I felt his lips touching mine and I fell into pure bliss. Oh, it was pure heaven! The moment I'd been waiting. He's just stolen my first kiss. And ours, too. His lips were so soft and the kiss was so sweet, like nothing else in existence.

I counted seven seconds before we pulled apart. My cheeks had turned crimson. His face was also red, but we were both smiling. Then, he caressed my face with his hand again. I don't know but for some reason I started crying. Kind of surprised me.

I must've worried Spiny because he said, "Are you okay?"

It was then that I realized why I was crying. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just I'm so happy! I've dreamed of this moment since the day I meet you. And I've always wanted you to give me my first kiss. You're my first love." And my eternal one, too.

"I think we'll be having a lot more of those. And often, too," he said smiling. He leaned over again and kissed my lips. The second to many kisses.

I giggled. I couldn't help it. I love this guy so much! And I love the way he'd kissed me. Where did he ever learn to kiss like that?

He gently pulled me towards him in an embrace and I encircled my arms around his waist. He caressed my hair in a way that captivated me. Then he looked at me, still smiling and kissed my cheek. I grinned, obviously happy that we're together now. "Come on, we have to get you home."

He intertwined his fingers in mine and we started heading the way back to my house. When we arrived at my front door, he said, "Lilia?"

"Yes?"

"You want to go out with me tomorrow night?"

Yes, yes, yes! More than anything in the world! "I'd love to," I said. I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'll be ready at eight."

He smiled and said, "All right." He pecked my lips once more. Third one! I felt the blood rising to my face, but the smile never went away. "I'll see you later, then?" he said.

I nodded. Still dazed from the first kiss, I nodded and kissed his cheek again. Then I stepped inside my house, sighing and looking up at the ceiling. I peeked through the window and saw Spiny smiling widely and whispering something. I couldn't hear it, but I'm pretty sure he said, "She's finally mine."

(TWENTY NINE HOURS LATER.)

I made sure the belt on my dress was on right and I brushed my hair. Tonight, it was finally happening. Thought it wasn't my first date, I wanted to see it that way. It was going to be our first date as a couple.

So I think of tonight as my first true date.

"Lilia!" Mom called out. "Spiny is here!" I had already told her everything that happened. She was so happy for me. She even bought me a new dress and let me use a little bit of makeup.

I walked out of my room and stepped down the stairs and saw Spiny at the door talking with Mom. When he saw me, Spiny's eyes widened and his smile sparkled.

"I want her back by ten," said Mom.

"Yes, ma'am."

Mom said goodnight and left. Spiny grabbed my hand and kissed me. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," I said.

He laughed. "Come on, let's go."

We stepped outside. "We're we going?" I asked.

"We're going to get some dinner then go for a walk in the park." Oh, good! That was going to be so much fun!

A little while later, we were at the diner and had ordered our food. But Spiny kept staring at me. "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" I asked. I reached for my face, but before it touched my face, Spiny held my palm and rubbed his thumb on the back.

"No, there's nothing wrong. Like I said before; you're really pretty. I couldn't help but look at you." I blushed.

"Spiny, could I ask you something?"

"Sure, Lily." Lily. Oh, I loved the way he said that!

"Um…how come you love me?"

His eyes scrunched up. "What do you mean?"

I sighed. "Well…I've made you go through a lot. I've accused you of things you never did do. And still you said you love me and you asked me to be your girlfriend. Why?"

He shrugged. He never let go of my hand. "Well…even though I knew I was innocent, all those times you were mad at me, I felt despair and cried at the very thought of being without you." Then he looked at me. "Am I making sense or not? Oh, gosh, yeah, I'm just rambling—"

"Spiny," I interrupted him. "Thanks. For caring. I never thought you cared about me."

"Of course I care about you. You have to believe that. If I look at Kylie, my eyes can only wander over to you. Why? Because you have beauty radiant that no other girl could ever have in a million years."

I felt my face redden. I heard him whisper, "You look so beautiful when you blush."

Catching glances at each other, we ate our meals in silence and then he paid the check. "You didn't have to do that," I said.

"I wanted to," he smiled. Then his hand reached out for mine, making my cheeks color again. "Follow me," he said. We walked outside and went to the park. I remember playing at this one. The rusty swings and silver slide. The last time I played here was when I was eleven. We walked along the cement sidewalk, only hearing the sound of our shoes and wind blowing against us.

Spiny had my hand in his and was swinging our arms between us. The air wasn't awkward but it wasn't calm either.

"So, we're a couple now, huh?" Spiny said, half-nervous. I smiled and nodded. "I'm free to call you my girlfriend and all that, right?" Again I nodded. "And I'm free to do this?" He kissed my hand, then my cheek, the side of my jaw then my cheek again. Each place he kissed left a burning sensation. Those kisses left me wanting more. My breath shortened as I nodded.

With his finger, he tilted my chin up so I would look at him. "Lilia, you're mine now. And no one will ever change that. No one," he said smiling.

"Thank you, Spiny," I finally said. "I've stalked you since we were little and look at us now."

"Together, Lily. Together." He smiled and kissed my lips gently.

I finally have Spiny all for myself. He's given my first kiss and now we're a couple. I couldn't be happier.


	13. Chapter 13

**After dropping Lilia off at her house, I turned around and full of happiness, returned to the Palace.**

 **When I stepped inside, Kathy came out of nowhere and said, "Hey."**

 **"Hey."**

 **She looked at me strangely. "What's the matter with you?"**

 **I sighed. "Nothing. Nothing at all."**

 **"What happened?"**

 **I told her word for word what had happened. How I met Lilia in front of the Palace and we went to that special place and how we confessed our love for each other. And of course, our first kiss. "Really? You kissed her? On the lips?!" Kathy was getting super-excited.**

 **"Yes, I did. And we have a date for tomorrow night."**

 **She suddenly got all giddy and giggly. "Oh, Spiny! That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!"**

 **"Thanks. You think you can get my suit sent to the cleaner's to get it pressed?"**

 **She nodded. "Of course."**

 **Afterwards, I went back upstairs, and lay on my bed, looking at the ceiling. I had never felt this kind of happiness ever before. It was a great feeling. I was hoping that it would last for a long time.**

 **I was sure that it would.**

 **(NEXT EVENING.)**

 **I made sure my tie was on right and shined my shoes. Larry stepped out. "Well, I couldn't find the handkerchief that goes with that suit."**

 **"Oh, don't worry about it, then," I said. "I'll just go like this."**

 **I looked at myself once more in the mirror and adjusted my hair. "Well, Larry…how do I look?"**

 **"Huh…oh. Well, I, uh…"**

 **"Oh, shut up!" I certainly was not in the need of his opinion.**

 **I stepped out the room and called Patty. "Hey, how do I look?"**

 **"Dashing. Just breathtaking."**

 **"Thanks. Well, I have to go. I'll be back at around ten or earlier."**

 **She nodded. "Okay. Have fun!"**

 **I smiled. "Thanks." I grabbed my wallet and went down the elevator and out the front door.**

 **I was incredibly nervous, I'll admit. But I felt a lot more confident and secure. I knocked on the door. Mrs. Woods answered. "Why, hello, Spiny."**

 **"Good evening, Mrs. Woods."**

 **"You're here for Lilia, right?"**

 **I smiled and nodded. "Yes."**

 **"I'll call her for you." She let me in and I waited at the door while she called Lilia. Mrs. Woods talked to me while we waited for her to come down. After about three minutes, she came down. She was wearing a pale green dress and had her hair in a headband.**

 **I could only smile at her beauty.**

 **"I want her back no later than ten," her mom said.**

 **"Yes, ma'am."**

 **Then she went over to her daughter and said, "Goodnight, sweetie. Have fun, okay?"**

 **"Thanks, Mom."**

 **When she left, I took Lilia's hand and we stepped outside and started walking down the street. I told her that we were going to a diner and then to a walk through the park. It wasn't at Arnold's. It was a more secluded, smaller diner where it was almost always empty. You can see your food being prepared in the kitchen and the tables are all for two or four and have checkerboard cloths.**

 **We got a table near the diner's kitchen and I helped Lilia into her seat. Then we order our food. We both got the specialty of the house, as they call it. Special home-style cooked steak with vegetables and rice.**

 **But the whole time I was staring at Lilia. She had such a beautiful face. Her beautiful light brown eyes. And her silky and soft brown hair. She even had a little bit of makeup on. She looked so beautiful.**

 **She noticed that I was staring at her. "What's the matter? Is there something on my face?" She reached out to touch her face, but I grabbed her hand. I shook my head. "No. It's just that you're so pretty that I can't help but to look at you."**

 **She blushed and looked down. "Spiny, can I ask you something?"**

 **"Sure, Lily."**

 **"How come you love me?"**

 **That kind of surprised me. Why was she asking me that? "What do you mean?"**

 **"Well, it's just that I've made you go through so much. I've treated you bad on some occasions. But you said you loved me and asked me to be your girlfriend. Why?"**

 **I explained to her that I'd been in despair all those times and that I realized that I couldn't live without her. And that her beauty was incomparable with anyone else's.**

 **During dinner, we didn't say anything, but occasionally we looked and smiled at each other. After we finished and I paid for both of us, I took her hand and we walked outside to the park. When we got there, we talked a little while longer, and I gently kissed her hand and her face.**

 **I promised her that she would be mine forever and that no one and nothing would ever separate us. Afterwards, we walked back to her house and I kissed her on the lips and said goodnight.**

 **"I love you," I said just before leaving.**

 **"I love you, too."**

 **I felt like bringing down the moon, the sun, and the stars from the heavens. If she would've asked for them, I would've done it, even if it meant giving up my life.**

 **My life was now complete.**

 **(SEVERAL WEEKS LATER.)**

 **It's now May 16, 2015. Lilia and I have been a couple for about three weeks. We've spent almost every day together. And we always kiss each other when saying hi and bye. We text, IM, and call each other every day, too.**

 **We hold hands and kiss in public. By now, the press got hold of the story. It even came out on CNN news in many countries that I have a girlfriend. Millions of girls wept. Too bad. Oh, well.**

 **Anyways, I had just come out of the shower and was putting on some beige khaki pants and a collared dress shirt. Then I went down to the kitchen. Kathy's there. "Spiny, how many brownies do you want for your picnic date with Lilia?" Yep. We're going on a picnic.**

 **"How many did you make?" I asked her.**

 **"I baked ten. Is that enough?"**

 **I raised my eyebrow at her. That's more than enough. Two people aren't going to eat ten brownies. Never mind how tasty they are. "We'll only eat five, then," I said, placing them in the picnic basket.**

 **I heard a knock on the door. "That must be her! I have to go. Bye, Kathy. Thanks." I grabbed the basket and ran to the front door. Larry went past me. "Have fun on your date, Spiny. But not too much fun!" he laughed.**

 **Whatever he meant by that.**

 **I opened the door and saw Lilia standing in front of me. She's carrying her picnic basket, too. She's wearing blue pedal pushers and a sweater. She looks beautiful. Well, she's beautiful in anything, but now she looks great. "Hi, and right on schedule."**

 **She smiled and nodded. "You ready?"**

 **I nodded and stepped outside, closing the door behind me. I grabbed her hand and we started walking to the park. "How are you today?" I asked her.**

 **"Fine," she said.**

 **We got to the park and sat down under a tree. Lilia handed me a sandwich and I started eating the food she'd made for me. She's a good cook. I don't know if her mom helped her, but it's still good. "Thanks for the food. It's great," I said.**

 **She nodded and ate quietly. Hmm. She's very quiet today. Is she okay? What's bothering her? Is she sick?**

 **"Lilia, what's wrong?" I asked her. She looked up at me and shook her head. "Nothing," she said.**

 **"Something is wrong. What's on your mind, Lily?" She just shrugged.**

 **"Well, just before I went over to get you, I was in the backyard with my dad. He was painting a landscape. He says that painting soothes him. It's his passion. And I was thinking what I'm passionate about but couldn't come up with anything. What am I going to do with my life? What will I do after high school? What college will I attend? And when I'm finished with college? What will happen? I just don't know what I'll do." I heard her as best as possible. Even though I'm not worried about that because I'll always be busy being King, I do think about what Kathy, Patty, Robert, and Greeny will do.**

 **"Well, you don't have to worry, Lily. We still have a lot of time. We're barely in middle school. A lot of people don't decide until their junior or senior year. And we still have about 3,600 years until we finish school. Relax now and enjoy life."**

 **She nodded and sighed. "You're right. I guess I'm scared about the future. Aren't you?"**

 **I nodded. "Yeah. Life is moving by too fast. It's kind of scary."**

 **She finished her sandwich and wiped her hand on a napkin. "Did you bring dessert?" she asked. I nodded and opened the basket. I handed her a brownie and smiled.**

 **"Kathy made them," I said. She bit into one and smiled. "It's really good."**

 **I took a bite out of another brownie and…mmm! "Hey! It is good! I have to thank my sister for both of us when I get back."**

 **I noticed that Lilia is staring at me. I looked at her and laughed. "What is it?"**

 **"Nothing. It's just that I'm so thankful to have you in my life," she said. I smiled and reached over and placed my hand on hers. She smiled and blushed.**

 **"I'm happy you're in my life, too. You're the best thing that ever happened to me," I said. She blushed and laughed.**

 **After we finished, we wiped our hands on the napkins and I stood up and helped Lilia off the ground. "You ready to leave?" I said. She smiled and nodded.**

 **"Thanks for the lunch date. It was really fun," she said. I smiled and leaned over to kiss her. I kissed her passionately while wrapped her arms around my neck and I put my hands around her waist.**

 **When we pulled away from each other, I looked into her eyes and smiled. "I love you," I whispered.**

 **"I love you too," she said. I kissed her again and stepped away. We walked home holding hands.**

 **I love Lilia so much and I can't imagine my life without her. I know I'm a little young to say this, but I want to marry her someday. I only hope she feels the same way. I can see us the rest of our lives together. We've already spent our lives as somewhat friends. Now we can spend it as a couple.**

 **And I couldn't be happier about that.**


End file.
